Fire Emblem: ReAwaken
by MaesterDimentio
Summary: After an accident sends him to Ylisse, how will this new character carve out his own legend in the world of Fire Emblem: Awakening? First attempt at a first-person type of story as well as a first attempt at a self-insert. T: Violence, Language, etc.
1. Chapter 1: A New World

**_*I know that it's in the summary for this story, but I feel like it's worth mentioning again: this is my first attempt at a first-person style of story, let alone a semi-self-insert. So, if there are errors, (and I'm sure there are), please forgive me. Now that that's said, I hope you enjoy the story.*_**

**Chapter 1: A New World**

I feel the cold rain on my back and the hard, black tarmac road on my face. At the moment, it's all I'm capable of: my eyes refuse to open and the world seems to be totally silent. _Where am I? What just…_ I let out an inner groan as my head feels like its been split op- wait, has it? I try moving any part of my body, the rate of my heartbeat increasing as not a single one of my limbs reacts. _Oh God, what happened to me?_ I can slowly feel something warm and sticky flowing down my face. _What the hell? Is this blood? My blood?_ I slowly start to fade away, my thoughts becoming lost in a haze as I lose consciousness. _This can't be happening…_

_I'm dead._

* * *

"Gah!"

I nearly scream as I jolt up, my heart pounding. _Wait, I'm awake? I'm alive?_ I start patting down my body, checking to see if everything is where it should be before letting out a satisfied sigh when I realize I'm all in one piece. "What the heck was that about?" I mumble as I rub my forehead with my palm. "That was probably the worst nightm- wait, where am I?" Sudden realization smacks me like a baseball bat as I see that I'm in the middle of a large field. I stand up, my balance slightly off, and take a look around. "This isn't exactly my room now, is it?" I say as I run my hand through my hair, dark brown and roughly cut. _Alright, maybe I should find someone. This is __**not**__ where I live._ I spot what looks like a small town off in the distance, smoke rising from chimneys. Hesitantly, I start taking a few steps towards the town when I notice something different about me: my clothes.

_Where'd this come from?_ I ask myself as I look at the clothes. I'm wearing what looks like brown leather boots on my feet and loose-fitting black pants of some kind. I have on a red shirt beneath the long black, sleeveless jacket that I'm wearing. Fastened around my waist is a thick green and gold belt. On my hands are a pair of black and red fingerless gloves that go halfway up my forearms. "This isn't what I was wearing! I don't think I've ever worn something like this! What kinda sick idea of a joke is this?" I practically scream in frustration before stomping on towards the village, ready to find out just what the hell is going on.

* * *

"This is… different." I whisper to myself as I walk through the roughly made stone streets of the village. The houses are a mixture of roughly-built from mud and stones to actual brick. A small canal runs through the town. A myriad of people bustled through the streets, running from different stalls that offered their wares. "Different, and yet it feels kinda familiar. I swear I've seen this place before." Stopping, I grab a man by the shoulder. "Excuse me, but I'm afraid I'm lost. Would you mind telling me just where I am?"

"Are you a traveler? Your clothes mark you as one." he says as he looks me up and down. "Well friend, allow me to welcome you to Southtown."

The name strikes me hard in the stomach. _Did I- did I just hear that right? Did he just say __**Southtown**__? _"Southtown? You just said Southtown, right?" I say breathlessly. I let him go as he gives me a look that practically says he thinks I've lost it in some way. As he fades into the crowd, I fall against the wall of a house and catch my breath. "There's no way… that I'm in _the _Southtown…" I whisper to myself, trying to reassure my frantically running mind. I look up as I hear a chorus of screams coming from down the street. People begin running in terror as fires begin to break out in the main plaza. "Okay, maybe I _am_ in that Southtown." Rather than run, I duck into an alleyway as a pair of men start heading my way. Their clothing is rough and ragged, practically mirroring how they looked. One of them holds an axe in his hands while the other carries a sword in a scabbard on his hip.

" 's about time these Ylissean dogs got a dose of reality!" the one carrying the axe yells as he charges towards a group of people. His friend shakes his head as he draws his blade and kicks in the door to a house directly across the street from me. I hear shrieks of fear from the inhabitants but at the moment, my mind's not focusing on that.

_Southtown. Bandits. Ylisse._ "How the fuck did I wind up in Fire Emblem!?" I shout as I look up at the sky, confusion plastered on my face I'm sure. A sudden rush of movement and a scream from the house catches my eye: a woman is running out, carrying a small baby in her arms, tears streaming down her blood-stained face as the swordsman slowly exits, his weapon gleaming red. He sees the woman as she stumbles, though she thankfully doesn't drop the child, and begins stalking towards her, a cruel smile on his lips. _Oh dear God._ _He's actually going to-_

"Hell no!" I scream as I jump from my hiding place and charge the man. He turns around just as I drive my shoulder into his stomach, the entire weight of my body going into the tackle. The two of us crash into one of the vendor stalls, sending up a shower of wood splinters and fruit. "Run!" I scream over my shoulder at the woman as I struggle with the man. A sudden kick from him drives all the wind out of my body as it connects with my stomach, sending me reeling back. I recover just in time to jump out of the path of his sword as it digs into the wood of the stall behind me. He lets out a grunt of annoyance as he attempts to remove it, giving me the opportunity to arm myself with a piece of the smashed stall. I swing it once to get a feel for how heavy it is as he frees his weapon and turns on me, his lips pulled back in a snarl.

"You're gonna die today, boy!" he barks as he points his weapon at me.

"Try me." I say. I've been told in the past, by more people than I care to remember, that I usually know just the right thing to say to get someone angry. It seems that even in this world, that holds true, as the man yells in anger before running towards me, his sword reared back, leaving him open. Gripping my improvised club with two hands, I smash it into his chest with all of my strength. There's a loud crack, both from my stick and his ribs, before he drops his sword and backs away, clutching at his chest in pain. "There're two kinds of people in this world I hate." I say to him as I throw down my broken weapon. "Men who hurt women and men who hurt children." I hold up two fingers on my right hand as I stoop down and pick up his dropped sword. It's heavy but I still manage to hold onto it. "And, you, my friend," I say as I point the tip of the sword to his throat, "fit into both of those categories." I bring the point of the sword away from him as I clench my right hand and deliver an angry punch directly to his face. His head snaps back as the crunch of bones is heard, howling in pain. He stares at me with hatred in his eyes as I shake my hand. _That effing hurt! _ I say to myself. _Didn't know I could throw one like that._

My thoughts are interrupted as I hear the swordsman snickering. _That's never a good sign._ I whirl around just as his friend, the ax-man, swings his namesake weapon down, trying to cleave me in half. I stumble back, instinctively bringing up my arm to protect myself. The blade of the ax tears through the skin on my right arm. I let out a scream of pain as I bring it to my chest, blood flowing freely from the wound, though it doesn't appear to be deep. The swordsman snickers again as his friend catches me in the chest with a hard punch, knocking me to my knees as I gasp for air. _Damn… so, I go from one dream of dying to actually dying…_ I chuckle despite myself; it's sick but funny in a way that I could only understand. _But hey, at least they didn't get the woman… _My thoughts trail away as I finally notice the small heap lying down the road from me. As I recognize it, my blood freezes in my veins. It was the woman, blood pooling around her body as the young child cried, cradled in her dead arms.

"You like my work?" the man with the ax said. I look up at him, a mixture of disgust and anger on my face. "The wench didn't even see what hit her. Wham! like that, my ax goes right into her. It's a pity that I didn't get the child with her; she turned just in time, trying to protect it." He grins as he sees the look on my face. "Wha's wrong with you? Don't you get it, boy? People live and people die: all that matters is whose got the guts to live and who doesn't. Though, I guess it doesn't matter much for you," his grin grows larger as he lifts up his ax, getting ready to bring it down on my head, "seeing as how you're about to-"

He doesn't get a chance to finish before I make my move. _People live and people die?! Bullshit!_ I roar in my head as I grip the sword with my right hand and lunge forwards, stabbing it deeply into the man's stomach. "You…. BASTARD! You kill an innocent woman and you laugh about it!?" I feel the blood in my veins rushing as I twist the sword's hilt, causing a small burble of blood to come out of his mouth. "There's a special place in the pits of Hell for people like you. I hope you enjoy your stay there." I say as I tear the sword out of him. He stumbles backwards, clutching at his wound, before falling to the ground. I stare down in shock at the dead man, the man who I've just killed. _Oh my God, I actually just…_ My stomach starts to turn flips at the thought. "NO!" I shout, trying to clear my head. _No, he deserved it. He murdered that woman and would have murdered more people. Think of it that way…_ I let out a deep breath as I turn to face his cohort, the swordsman now cowering back in fear. "Give me everything you have of value and start running." I snap.

He does and leaves behind a small brown vial of some liquid, (_a Vulnerary?),_ and the scabbard for his sword. As I fasten it to my belt, with a good amount of difficulty I should add, I walk over to where the woman lay. Placing my fingertips on her neck, I feel my heart ache as I feel the lack of a pulse. _I'm so sorry. I… I thought that…_ Pounding the ground with my hand, I let out a small cry of anguish. _A life for a life. I only wish you hadn't died._ Slowly regaining my composure, I pick up the bawling infant and cradle him in my arms. "Don't worry, little one." I whisper in soft tones. "I promise no bad men are going to come after you. Not while I'm here." With my free hand, I close the woman's eyelids before standing up. "Now, if this is Southtown, and it's under siege by these guys, then that means…" An idea slowly starts to form in the back of my mind as I start to head towards where the bandits had come from, the baby resting quietly in my arm.

* * *

It takes me a few minutes, but I finally find the four people that I'm looking for. One of them, a man on a horse wearing a full suit of armor, save a helmet that allows me to see his brown hair, spots me and says something to one of his companions, a young man with blue hair who carried a sword that I recognized very well, though I'd never seen it.

"You there!" he calls out as I start to come closer. "Who are you and- gods, is that a child?" He lowers the sword as I come to a stop in front of them. "Are you with the bandits that attacked here? Do you plan to use that child for leverage?"

My eyes immediately snap to one of the two females of the group. _Didn't quite guess that Robin would be a female but…_ Her black hair is pulled back into a ponytail and her green eyes are fiercely narrowed at me. _Huh, she never looked this good in the games._ I notice the tome in her hands and immediately turn my attention back to the young man. "You're Chrom, correct?"

"I am. What of it?" he asks as he tightens his grip on Falchion.

_Was he like this in the game? You'd think I'd be able to remember, as often as I played it._ I step forwards, causing all four of them to immediately tense up. I place my free arm in the air as a gesture of peace before walking closer to him. "I mean neither you nor any of your friends harm. I only want to give you this child." I offer him to Chrom. "His mother, at least that's who I assume she was, was cut down by a bandit. He has no home that I know of and, well, I can't exactly take care of him. All I want you to do is find somewhere for him to live and be healthy, alright?"

His little sister, Lissa, walks up next to him and looks at the baby. "Oh Chrom, he's so adorable! We have to do something." Looking up at me, she gives me a surprisingly cheerful smile. "I think it's very good of you to go out of your way to save this baby." She takes him from my arms and into her own, smiling even wider as he lets out a giggle. "Aw, I think he likes me!"

_Well, that's settled. Now, what about myself?_ It was the question that had been on my mind since I'd decided to hunt down Chrom and his Shepherds to return the child. _They might welcome me in but… Do I want to go with them?_ As odd as it sounds, I honestly didn't. To me, it seemed clear that, even though this is the world from Fire Emblem: Awakening, the story here doesn't have to be the same. After all, I don't remember anyone giving over this kid to Chrom. That meant there could be any number of things in this world. Plus, I might affect the story for this world. _Then again, so could me saving this baby, but I'm not gonna let a baby die. I mean, it's a baby!_ "Well, thanks for not lopping my head off with your sword there." I say with a smile as I start backing away. "I'm just going to head off now." With that, I turn on my heel and begin to walk away. _Well, there's my decision I guess._

"Wait." I freeze in place as I realize what's coming next. "Would you-"

"-like to come with you?" I shrug once before turning around to face them again.

"How did you-"

"-know you were going to say that?" I laugh slightly as he shares a confused look with Frederick, the man on the horse. "I've heard of the Shepherds. A band of men and women who fight to protect Ylisse from those who would do the country harm. Consider it a lucky guess that you'd ask me to come with you." I shake my head and throw my hands in the air. "Not today. I kinda just want to be alone in my travels for right now. Maybe some other day, perhaps."

"Will you at least tell us your name?" Robin asks, giving me a suspicious look.

_Can't say I don't blame her. Although, she just had to ask __**that **__question. _I sighed inwardly as I realized that I would have to give them a name. _But, should it be my real name? _Taking a moment to think, what all has happened to me since I've arrived? I've woken up in a field in new clothes, gone to a town, been attacked by bandits, killed said bandits, and met four characters from a video game. With all of this, am I really just going to be who I used to be? _Why not be someone a little different. Different world, different people, so different me._ Extending my hand, I smile at her. "The name's Kale." _A little bit on the spot, but why not? I like the sound of it._

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you Kale." she says, gripping my hand. I immediately let out a howl of pain as the wound from the ax-man flares up. "You're wounded!" She pulls away her hand as she realizes that it was her who made the wound act up. I dismissively wave my hand, making the wound hurt even more.

"Can I please have a healer?" I mumble as I clutch the gash. "This hurts like hell!"

"I've got it!" Lissa says before handing the baby to Robin, who awkwardly accepts it. Gripping a staff, she raises it into the air as it begins to glow. Slowly, I watch as the cut starts to mend itself together, fusing back into whole skin and without even leaving a scar.

_That's not what it looks like in the game. Kinda spooky, really._ "Thanks." I say with a smile, flexing my healed arm. "Well, I'd best be off. The road is calling to me. Maybe someday, we can all meet up again." I bow slightly to them before turning away and leaving.

Just before I leave earshot, I hear Frederick. "What an odd character."

On any other day, I probably would have taken that as an insult. Today though, I shrug it off. _Meh, he's probably right._ I smile as I look up to the sky and see that the sun is beginning to set. _But then again, I'm not supposed to be here, am I?_

* * *

**_*Yeah, I know: it's short. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed reading it, as I enjoyed writing it. Please, leave your thoughts in a review, as I'd really appreciate the criticism or the support. Either one will do.*_**


	2. Chapter 2: Allies

*****_**For those of you who decided to check out Chapter 2, thank you! Hope you enjoy.***_

Chapter 2: Allies

_How am I not dead yet?_

It's been the single thought that has gone through my mind for the past few hours. In all honesty, how? I've just arrived in a world that I thought only existed in a video game and now I'm just wandering around the forest. Not going to lie, I'm surprised that I'm actually alive. Surviving in the wild has never been my forte, save for the few exceptions in games that I've played.

_But seriously, when is something going to swoop down from the heavens and take me out?_ It's a strange feeling but its one that I get used to the more I feel it. It's sort of like that feeling you get when you go to a party that you weren't invited to but one of your friends dragged you there anyway. You just feel like you don't belong, because you don't. Now, take that feeling and multiply by ten. Yeah, that's how I feel. Every time I take a step, I'm afraid that a bolt of lightning is going to fall from the sky and just blast me to tiny, bite-sized pieces.

"Maybe I should pray for protection." I mutter. "But, will praying to God work in this world? Don't they usually pray to Naga or something like that? I remember the Grimleal worship Grima, so no praying to that guy. Or girl. Or giant dragon of death and destruction. I was never quite sure about its gender, considering that Robin is-" I stop mid-stride as I have a sudden thought. "I wonder… should I warn Chrom about that?" Thinking about it, I decide to let it rest. _If I say anything, who knows what it'll cause. I might cause it to happen sooner. Then again, I might stop it from happening altogether…_ I let out a sigh as the mental debate begins to form in my head. "Wish I had a coin. I'd just flip for it."

As I began to grow tired of both the constant walking and the constant mental war my mind seemed to rage with itself, I decided to set up camp for the night. By camp, I of course mean a comfortable (or just mildly unpleasant) piece of the ground to sleep on and hope to (God? Naga?) that nothing came after me at night. Fortunately, my search for haven didn't take too long: I managed to find a nice little grove nestled in the forest. Lying down, I started to think about everything that happened today.

_Okay, first, that dream I had: what the hell? Was that really a dream or was that… know what, never mind._ I shook my head slightly to rid my thoughts of that dream. _So, how about the fact that I'm currently in the world of a video game? Shouldn't I be a little bit more… excited? I mean, come on, I freakin' loved this game ever since I'd bought it. I've dreamt of coming here before and now… well, I'm here._ I sighed slightly as I sat up and rested my head in my palm. "Well, I just don't think I can allow myself to be happy, can I?" I sat back again and just decided to admire the stars in the sky. They at least looked similar to the ones back in my world. Even the moon, rising over the tops of the trees, still looked…

Wait. Rising? _Why does that… Shit._

"Risen!" I screamed as I jolted up. _I'm such a fucking idiot!_ _How did I forget-_ _Aw, crap…_ I scrambled to my feet and placed my hand on the hilt of the sword I'd taken from the swordsman back in Southtown. As odd as it sounds, touching the weapon felt odd, as though I could sense the evil acts it had been used in. _That's all in your head. It's the user that makes the weapon, not the other way around. Deep breaths, Kale, deep breaths._

A sudden scream from inside the forest made me nearly wet myself. I turned myself towards where it had come from, my heart pounding. "Shit, I think that was a person!" I sheathed my blade as I started running towards where the scream had come from, something that seemed to go against all of my better judgement. Still, if someone was in danger, I couldn't just let them get hurt. _I swear, white-knighting like this is going to get me killed._ Ignoring the scratching branches of the trees, I ran towards what appeared to be a break in the foliage. "Are you okay?" I screamed, hoping to get a response. "Don't worry, I'm here to-" As my foot fell on empty air, I looked down to see a long drop down a hill ahead of me. "-help…"

I crashed down the hill, covering my head to make sure it didn't get damaged, though every single part of my body seemed to be screaming in pain as I rolled down. I screamed as I closed my eyes, hoping that I'd just come to a stop in a few moments and that this didn't lead to some large pit. Suddenly, I felt myself go airborne and my pit idea suddenly seemed to be a reality. Opening my eyes, I saw, to my relief, a large pool of water that was slowly becoming larger. "This is going to-"

_-hurt!_ I nearly opened my mouth to scream as I fell into the water. It felt like I'd just landed on concrete. I slowly regained my senses and swam up, breaking the water in just a few strokes. It actually wasn't that deep: only about neck-height for me, though since I'm over six feet tall, that might not matter too much. I was in the middle of a pond from the looks of it, though I couldn't see very far ahead of me: a thick fog had settled over this area. "Son of a-" I muttered as I felt the chill of the night's air hit me, striking at my very core. "Hey, is someone there? I heard a scream! Then I fell and kinda crashed here…" The last part I whispered to myself. "Hey, who's there?" I asked as I heard something splash around in the water. I slowly started making my way towards where it had come from. "I'm not going to hurt you! I just heard a scream and-" I stopped midsentence as I saw the figure standing at the edge of the pond, my eyes growing wide.

Well, one thing I can say for sure is that she was beautiful. Long, white hair that fell to her shoulders and red eyes that seemed to cut through me. She looked around my age, so likely 17 or so. On any other occasion, I might have tried to strike up a conversation and make friends. Only one problem:

She was naked.

"Pervert!" she screamed as she wrapped a cloak around herself. I fell backwards, both from being startled by her scream and from trying to avert my eyes.

"NO! NO! This is all- it's just a- I didn't even know!" I sputtered as I rose out of the water. I ducked just in time to avoid the ball of fire that she'd sent flying at my head. _Ah, magic. I'm sure I'll survive… _"You've got this all wrong! I'm not a-"

"Shut up, you- you pervert!" she shouted as she held out her left hand. In her right was a red tome. Fire, if I had to guess, as another sphere of it flew from her hand and towards me.

"Myra, what's going on!?" a voice yelled out from the trees. "Is it a bandit?"

"No, worse! It's a pervert!" she screamed again as she launched another ball of fire.

"I'm not a damned pervert, woman!" I scream before I fall backwards into the water. (Who put that rock there?!) I scramble to my feet just as someone bursts out of the shrubbery, my heart stopping as I realized how much trouble I was in.

First thing I notice: the giant-ass sword that he's wielding in his hands. It looks like it could cut a tree in half, let alone me. Second thing I notice: the fact that he's a giant himself. I'm six-three and I'm pretty sure that he'd dwarf me. Final thing that I notice: the pure anger in his green eyes as they lock onto me. I physically feel myself shrink under the intense pressure of his gaze. _Oh God, I am so fucked…_

"Who the hell are you?" he asks. "And just what do you think you're doing, spying on my sister when she's bathing?"

_Yeah, I'm fucked. _"I swear on whatever you want me to swear on, I was not peeping!" I say, placing my hand over my heart. "I just heard someone scream and I came running. There was a slope, I didn't see it, I fell down it, and then… well, this." I say gesturing with my arms at what was around me. "So, can we please put down the meat cleaver and the book of fireballs and let me live?!" My answer was the sound of a fireball hitting the water just behind me as big, scary brother jumped into the water, his sword still in his hands.

_Thunk_

The sound the axe made as it hit the tree was enough to get their attention away from me. A dull groan came from the trees as a group of warriors stepped into the moonlight. _Did the Risen actually just save my life?_ The thought was somewhat comforting and disturbing at the same time. _Well, the terrible twosome haven't killed me._ The slight peace I felt was shattered as an arrow flew past my head. _But the Risen are still up for debate._

"Myra, get back!" the big brother yelled as he slogged _(is that a word?) _through the water towards where his sister was, who was taking steps back as a spear-wielding Risen advanced on her. With a roar, it thrust it forward, skewering the tree that she had been standing in front of just moments before. It gave off a confused grunt before a ball of fire blasted it into oblivion. Myra, as I'm guessing her name was, gave a satisfied smile as her brother stepped up beside her. "Hey, if you want us to believe you, fight!" he shouted at me.

"I want a guarantee!" I yell, though I'm already charging towards an axe-wielding Risen. With a quick motion, I unsheathe my sword and cut straight through it. It lets out a single moan before falling to the ground and disappearing into a black fog. "Seriously: a guarantee!" I yell over my shoulder as I jump back to avoid the swing of a sword from another Risen. I think I hear him chuckle before the din of battle becomes too great for me to hear anything further. _Probably a bad sign for me. _My thoughts are interrupted by another sword swing. _I'll deal with that later, though._ "Okay, you want to dance?" I ask as I square off with the sword wielding Risen. It gives off a single grunt as it charges towards me. "Bad move!" I shout as I duck under it, my sword singing through the air as it cuts through its arm. It looks confused for a split second before I lop off its head with a single movement. "Damn, I'm good!" I cry out, pumping my fist into the air.

I think the universe heard me, as immediately an unbelievable pain erupts from my back. I turn around to see _another_ Risen wielding a sword looking at me with its empty eyes. "Bastard…" I grunt as tears start up in my eyes. _Okay, that isn't good… Vulnerary?_ I reach into the small pouch on the side of my belt and pull out the small vial. _Doing it._ Using my teeth, I rip out the cork and spit it out before downing a part of it. _Ah, God, this is awful… I think I'd prefer the agonizing pain._ Still, I couldn't exactly argue with the results: almost immediately, I felt the wound on my back start to heal, as odd as it sounds. I'd question how that works, but screw it: a girl's been throwing fireballs at me and I'm currently fighting a horde of warrior zombies. With a yell, I thrust my sword through the Risen's body before cutting through it. "Asshole…" I mutter as I run over to the other two, a group of Risen standing between them and me.

Luckily, it seems the two of them are more than capable of handling themselves: Myra's casting her fire magic and has a big smile on her face, which is pretty unsettling, I admit, and her brother is a one-man Risen-killing army. _Please let them forgive me… Please Naga or God or whoever… I don't quite want to die yet._

Slowly, the three of us manage to cut through the horde, whittling down the horde monster by monster, until only one remained: a large, foreboding beast of a Risen holding a massive lance. Its armor dully shone in the light of the moon and it took slow steps towards us. "So, you want him?" I ask.

With a chuckle, Big Bro charges towards it. "With pleasure!' he shouts as he swings his weapon. Despite its armor, the Risen is still cut clean through, letting out a single moan of what sounded like disappointment before dissolving like the rest of them.

_Well, we didn't exactly have Marth, but we still survived._ Panting, I sheathed my sword and knelt down on the ground. "Well, glad that's over. So, about that guarantee-" I stop short as the tip of his weapon plunges into the ground in front of me. Scratch that, inches in front of my face, to the point where I see the beads of sweat on my forehead in the reflection of the damned blade. "I'm going to guess there was no guarantee, huh?" I chuckle nervously.

"No, there wasn't." he says dryly. "Personally, while I am grateful for your help, I still don't like the idea that you peeped on my little sister, even if it was an accident." He must have caught some of the hope in my eyes, as he immediately shuts me down. "And no, I'm not saying that this was an accident."

"Wait, Marco." _Marco?! His name's Marco?! I thought it'd be something like Siegfried, the Kicker-of-Asses!_ Looking up at Marco, I decide to keep any 'witty' comments I might have regarding his name to myself. We both turn to look at his sister, who looks down at me with a mixture of pity and contempt. "I think there might, _might_, be some truth in what he's saying. I did hear something crash down the hill: it's what made me get out of the water in the first place." _Then why the hell didn't you say so in the first place?! Big guy + Big sword + Naked little sister = Me dying!_

"Wait, then what was the scream for?" I ask, trying to keep from screaming my own head off. "That's what made me come running: I saw some of these freaks roaming the forest earlier and I thought they'd attacked someone." _Meh, good enough lie. It's not like they actually know where the Risen are from._

Myra nervously traces the ground with her big toe. "Well, there was a spider and-"

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?" I explode. "YOUR BROTHER HAS A SWORD TO MY THROAT BECAUSE OF A SPIDER?!" I close my eyes, still fuming. _Wait, why am I complaining? I hate spiders. _I glance over to where Marco is standing, or rather, to where his sword is resting._ Then again, I've never been put in mortal peril because of one._ I look back at Myra, ready to let loose again, when I stop. Tears. She's actually crying. Because I yelled at her. For being afraid of something that I'm afraid of. _Good job, Kale, good job._ "L-look, don't cry, alright? I-I was mad, but I didn't mean to make you cry."

"No, i-i-it's f-fine." she chokes out. "T-this is my fault. You've g-got the r-right to be mad at me." Suddenly, she bursts into full-on tears, catching me off guard.

I slowly turn around to face Marco, who's standing beside his sword with his arms crossed, a dangerous look in his eyes. "I am so sorry." I say, falling to the ground on my knees. "Here, do it." I spread my arms open wide, ready for what I'm sure is inevitability.

"What the hell are you doing?" he asks.

"Giving you the chance to end me. That's what you're about to do, right?" I ask, shutting my eyes tight. "I've seen you fight. I'd be dead before I drew my blade. So, go ahead. Kill me."

"Alright."

_Shit I was just joking!_ My eyes snap open as his foot connects with my chest, sending me sprawling over the ground. "There, I got my revenge." he says with a smile. "I'm not going to kill you over an accident. Consider that boot to the chest punishment for making my baby sister cry." He walks over to me and extends his hand, which I note is covered by a thick leather glove. "Besides, anyone who fights as well as you do is a good person in my eyes. When you fight for your life, you show just what kind of person you are."

_God, or Naga, bless you, Marco!_ I take his hand and stand up, rubbing my chest where he'd kicked me. "Heh, would you believe this is like my third near-death experience today?"

"Somehow, I don't doubt it." He shakes his head before turning around to his sister, who's still crying. "Come here, My-my" he says, picking her up into his arms and holding her in the air. "No need to cry, alright? All of this was just a big misunderstanding. None of it was your fault." He turns his head so he can look at me. "Right?" he asks, though it felt more like a command.

"Right, right." I say, dumbly nodding my head. As he sets her down, I walk over to her and place my hand on her shoulder. "Look, I'm sorry for yelling like that, alright? To be honest, I hate spiders too. I was just under a little bit of stress, that's all." I smile as she looks up at me, the tears in her eyes starting to diminish. "See, there's nothing to-" I stop as I pat her on the shoulder, not realizing that her cloak was more-or-less just hanging off of her body. It falls in a heap around her feet, causing her to scream and jump into the water, once again earning me the title of 'pervert'. Sighing, I turn to Marco. "You can kill me now."

* * *

Thankfully, the big man decided to spare me. After fishing Myra out of the water and allowing her to change into proper clothes, he'd invited me to sleep at their camp, provided that I sleep on the complete opposite side as her. They'd let me eat a small portion of their food before we all fell asleep and as morning came, I felt surprisingly well-rested considering I'd just slept on the ground.

"So, Kale," Marco says as he stomps out the remains of the fire, "what exactly are you doing out here? You told us you were travelling, but to where?"

I shrug. "Not quite sure. I really just want to see the world, to be honest." I say as I fix the way my sword's scabbard is resting on my belt. Little bastard keeps poking me in the side: I'm starting to think it _is _possessed by some evil spirit. _Then again, where exactly am I? Would a possessed sword be so surprising?_ "Why do you ask?"

"Well," he grunts as he lifts the bag that carries their tent, or rather, her tent, as he slept outside, over his shoulder, "I was wondering if you might want to travel together. They say there's safety in numbers and after encountering those monsters last night, I'd say we could use a little more protection."

I'm actually taken aback by this. _After all that happened-_

"Just so long that you don't go near my sister, of course."

_Knew it._ "No problem." I say. "Besides, I don't know my way around here. I figure that if I'm with someone from Ylisse, then-"

"Who says we're from Ylisse?" Myra asks, an edge to her voice. Turning around, I'm surprised by just how angry her eyes are. "I'll have you know, my brother and I are both nobility hailing from Plegia itself."

"Myra!" Marco shouts. "Don't just spout that off, dammit!" He lets out a sigh and I hear him drop the bag containing her tent, followed by the sound of him drawing his sword. "Now I've got to-"

"Whoa there, big guy!" I shout, turning around. "No need for that." I say, looking towards his sword. "I've got no problem with Plegians, alright? I'm not from Ylisse or Plegia or even Regna Ferox. Like I said, I'm a traveler, okay? I know all about the tensions between your countries, but I don't care, alright. As far as I'm concerned, people are people, regardless of where they're from." That seems to calm him down, as he slowly puts his sword back in the scabbard on his back. "Can I just ask one question? If you're both Plegian, then why are you in Ylisse?"

"It's complicated." Myra says.

"We're outcasts." Marco says at the exact same time.

Before either of them say anything, I raise my hands in the air. "Fair enough, fair enough. I just want to make sure that I'm not travelling with a couple of assassins or anything." I look at the two of them and notice the relieved expressions on their faces. "You guys aren't assassins, right?"

"No, just political outcasts thanks to that bastard king, Gangrel." Myra mutters under her breath. "If we so much as set foot back in Plegia, he'll have our heads."

"To be honest," Marco says as he grabs the tent-bag _(not quite sure what else to call it)_ and hoists it over his shoulder, "I was thinking of mercenary work. Considering the tensions between the two countries, it'd be a pretty easy way to make a living. And now that these monsters are roaming the land, even more money to live off of."

_Did I somehow end up in Path of Radiance?_ Shaking my head, I give them both a smile as I raise my hand into the air. "Well then, I guess we're sell-swords, aren't we?" As I see both of them smile, I silently offer up a prayer of thanks to both God and Naga.

I was getting tired of debating between the two of them.

* * *

_***So, yeah. This is pretty much going to be a cast of entirely new characters. It's just going to take place alongside the main story of FE:A. I know this may be asking a little bit too much, but if any one would like to have their own character placed in the story, I'd be more than happy to. Please leave any thoughts you have below and I hoped you enjoyed reading this.***_


	3. Chapter 3: Work for Rest

**Chapter 3: Work for Rest**

_Cold. Wet. Hard ground. Huh, I'm back where I was before. Could've sworn I was just in camp._ I let out an inwardly sigh, seeing as how I'm not exactly breathing, since I seem to have come back to my world. At least, I think so. Could be that someone stabbed me in my sleep; wouldn't put it past some bandit getting the lucky shot. Wait, what's that I hear? _An ambulance… Seriously? …Okay, I'm back home._ I can hear voices, but their faint and sound muffled. Definitely cracked my head on something.

"…suicide…"

_What?! Bullshit, this wasn't a suicide! Where the hell did you get the idea… _My anger quickly starts to subside as I start feeling as though I'm falling. _So, what… Is this like my-_

* * *

"…world transition?" I mumble as I wake up. Sitting up, I feel a mixture of happiness and sadness to see Myra and Marco sleeping across the campfire from me. _Okay, I'm back in Ylisse. Currently, my preferred place of existence._ Sighing, I crawl over towards the fire, my blanket still wrapped around me. I let the warmth of the fire wash over me as I start to make connections. _All right, I'm definitely living between two worlds: here and there. Ylisse and Earth. And on Earth, I'm dying. Wonderful._ "The only question is how this came to be. I don't quite remember saying I want to be reincarnated in a video game. Granted, I wouldn't exactly mind, but still. Then again, I don't think I've died in my world yet, so…" A low groan from the forests interrupts my thoughts. _You can't be serious… MORE RISEN?! Who the hell brought the Reeking Boxes?_ "Guys, we got company!" I shout to my two companions as I draw my sword.

I can hear Myra groan from inside her tent. "Again? This is like, the third time tonight!" She slowly crawls out of the tent, her eyes still heavy from just being woken up, though they light up as she sees the first of the Risen emerge from the trees: a warrior, from the looks of his axe, which he's currently aiming at me. _Now he's throwing it and I'm stepping out of the way and that was close and now you're dead! _I stab him straight through the midsection, before spinning around, my blade cutting through his body.I sigh as I see another sword-wielding Risen step out from behind Marco. "Big guy: behind-" _Never mind._ He's already chopped it in half with his sword. I look over to see Myra blasting a knight in the chest with a ball of fire, incinerating him in seconds, same creepy smile on her face. _Well, three-for-three, but…_ I let out an audible groan as I hear more Risen coming out of the trees. _…this is going to be a long night._

* * *

It was, indeed, a long, _long_ night. Even after we dispatched the small horde of them that had attacked us, another group attacked after we set up camp for the (_third? fourth?) _time that night. At that point, we decided we were better off just staying mobile. Normally, I'm capable of going about twenty-four to thirty-six hours without sleep; it's actually kinda normal for me. However, and I would have never guessed this, but fighting zombies _while_ working on little to no sleep can really take it out of you. I swear, the Risen were _never _this annoying in the game. If they were, I am _so _sorry that I ever made the Shepherds fight them so often. I look over my shoulder to see Myra trudging along behind us, her steps slow and- and now she's falling. _Catch her, moron!_

Too late. Her face hits the ground with a thud and she lets out a slight groan, whether it's from pain or being tired, I'm not sure. "Marco." I call out to the big guy, though he's already next to her, her arm draped over his shoulder. "We need sleep. She's falling out and I'm about ready to as well." I look down the path that we're on: from where I'm standing, it looks like we're almost out of the forest. I can see smoke rising over the tops of the trees, so that might be a good sign. "Hey, how much money do we have? Looks like there's a town ahead: I was thinking we could rent out a room in an inn."

He lets out a deep sigh as he walks up next to me. "That could be a problem. We're broke." Seeing the look I give him, he frowns as he turns away from me. "Why else do you think we've been camping outside so often? Although, we might be able to work out a deal. We are mercenaries, right?"

"Work for rest? Sounds like it could work." I mumble. I stretch my back out slightly before starting to walk forward. "Well, let's see what's up ahead, shall we?"

* * *

Well. I was right: it was a town that I'd seen up ahead. "Though I think calling this a town would be a bit of a stretch…" I mutter under my breath as I pass by a man hammering a board into place to fix a hole in the side of, what I'm guessing, is his house. Looking around, the entirety of this small hamlet looks like it's just seen a war: several buildings have walls smashed in and just looking at the people wandering the streets, I can feel that something's wrong here. I turn back to the hammering man. "Hey!" I call out, startling him. "What's the name of this town?"

Turning around to look at me, he frowns. "Not that it matters, but welcome to Alech. I assume ya'll are here as travelers or are ya here to finish what the local bandits have started, heh?" He waves his hammer around as he continues on. "Damned thugs. They stomp in here the other night and demand everything we own. We give it to them and what do they do? They wreck our homes and kidnap a handful of our people." He smiles grimly as he points his hammer at me. "But we'll show them: we caught one of them and we're gonna hang his corpse outside for them to see! That'll teach them to mess with-"

"Kendall!" a woman's voice calls out. "We've got trouble! He's trying to break loose again!"

"Ah dammit!" The man, Kendall, looks at the three of us and frowns. "Well, I hate to ask, but would ya'll mind helping me get this bastard under control? I don't have any money to give ya, but it looks like ye could use a rest. We've got an inn here an-"

I already have my sword drawn and am running towards where the woman's scream was heard by the time he finishes his thought. "Deal!" I shout over my shoulder as I turn the corner. I can here Marco and Myra running after me. As I near where I'd heard the commotion, I can make out a loud male voice shouting above everyone else.

"-I already said I'm not with those damn bandits, you morons!"

_I'm sure you're not._ I thin to myself as I see the man the voice belonged to. Standing in the middle of a crowd of angry, farm-tool wielding villagers, is an extremely pissed-off looking man. His gray hair is pulled back into a ponytail and he's got a seriously nasty looking scar going down the left side of his face. He's wearing a red piece of armor on his chest and black pants _(trousers? pantaloons? … I need a dictionary for this stuff.) _with dark leather boots. In his right hand is a large axe, though instead of waving it around, he's resting on his shoulder. His left hand is currently clenched into an angry fist that he's waving at the village people. "For the umpteenth time, I'm NOT a BANDIT!" he screams at the top of his lungs. A few of the villagers back away at his outburst. _Yeah, I'm totally convinced._

"Hey, buddy." I call out, causing the villagers to part in front of me. _(Damn, I've always wanted that to happen. So cool!)_ "You do realize that ranting like a maniac isn't going to get you anywhere with these people, right? Now, let's put down the axe and talk about this like-" I jump back just as he swings his axe at me. "Hey, asshole! I'm actually trying to be nice and _this _is how I get repaid?" I hold my sword out in front of me as he turns to face me. Alright_, weapon triangle: sword beats axe. This guy doesn't have much of a-_ I'm interrupted as he nearly chops me in half, making me jump back to avoid becoming a true Gemini. _Scratch that: very real chance._

"Kale!" I turn my head to see Marco standing by, with Myra leaning up against his shoulder, half asleep from the looks of it. "You need some help?" He reaches over his shoulder to grab the hilt of his sword.

"Nah, I've got this." I say, waving my hand dismissively. I turn back to my opponent just in time to block _(DAMN THAT HURT!) _a swing from his axe with my sword, though the force knocks me back, giving him an opportunity to attack again. This time, I'm smart enough _not_ to take the heavy hit: I duck under his swing and run around to his back, lashing out with my foot and managing to catch him in the back of the knee. _Just like Dean taught me. Guess his fighting lessons actually are going to pay off._ Before he can get up, I have my sword at the nape of his neck. "Now, care to explain yourself?" _Oh God, my arm… and it's the one that the other axe-man cut yesterday…_

"Of all the rotten… damn." he grunts as he places his axe on the ground. "Look, they've got the story wrong, alright? I'm not a bandit. …okay, I'm not a bandit anymore. Those punks screwed me over and left me to fend off these hicks myself." _Well, that just won you points in their eyes, I'm sure. _"All I want is to get back there and kick my old boss's ass, alright?"

Marco, with Myra still leaning against his shoulder, walks over to us and puts his hand on my shoulder. "Kale, I think he might actually be telling the truth." _You can't be serious, man. Just… Come on!_ "I'm not sure, but it's like I've said before: you can tell a lot about someone by the way they fight, especially when their life is on the line." He places Myra on my shoulder _(I'm seriously glad he seems to have gotten over the whole 'pervert' thing but this might be pushing it for her. I'm pretty sure she still hates me.) _and walks over to stand in front of the man. "What's your name?"

"Garrett." He says without looking up. "Why, what's it to you?" _Marco, don't tell me that-_

"There might be a way to clear your name, get your revenge, and get us a place to rest for the night all at once." He says with a smile. _Damn. I've found Chrom's long-lost brother and he's just as bad at letting random people join up with us. _"So, care to prove to everyone here that you aren't a bandit?"

Garrett gives off a slight chuckle. "Well, it might be a bit of a pain, but I think I will. My only other plans today entailed me getting stabbed by pitchforks, after all." He takes a look at the mob that's formed around us and his face falls. "Then again, it still might happen…"

Myra takes this moment to finally realize that she's in this world and speaks up. "Can we get some sleep first?" She suddenly notices whose shoulder she's resting on, as she immediately screams and falls backwards. "P-pervert!" she screams while pointing a finger at me, covering her chest with her other arm. _How the hell does her resting on my shoulder make me a pervert? And you're not even naked!_

_Seriously, what the hell?_ Ignoring her, I turn back towards Garrett and Marco, who both seem to be having a slight chuckle at my expense. "Put me on the opposite side of the inn as her, please."

* * *

Dinner had been, in a word, pleasant. After Marco had talked down the townsfolk from lynching Garrett _(guy's got a way with words, though the muscles and giant sword might have also helped), _they'd actually given the four of us a set of rooms at their inn to stay at, complete with a full meal, which we graciously accepted. Granted, this means that we must go and take on an entire camp of blood-thirsty bandits, but hey.

Live and learn, right?

As I finish off my second _(or was it third?) _plate of meat _(not sure what kind, but DAMN it was good.), _I look over to see Marco and Garrett both sitting together over at the bar. From the way it looked, they almost seemed to be chatting like old buddies. _Then again, they probably have a lot in common, considering that they both tried to kill me when we first met. I'll let Marco slide but I'm still pissed at you, Garrett. _"That's the last time I try being the white knight." I mumble to myself.

"What was that?" Myra asks, startling me. _Where the- when did she sneak up on me and how long has she been standing there?_ I glance over to the table where she had been eating. Alone. Yeah, at this point, I'm pretty sure she still has a grudge against me. "Sorry, did I startle you?"

"No, I love it when people sneak up behind me for no reason whatsoever. Please, make sure to do it more often in the future." I reply, not leaving an ounce of sarcasm out of my voice. "Are you seriously still pissed about the whole pond deal? I thought we clarified that it was an accident."

She takes a chair in front of me, a surprisingly cold look on her face. "I said that I it was an accident. I didn't say that I'd forgiven you for seeing me like that. Not to mention, it happened twice." She holds up two fingers as I grimace slightly. _Right, the cloak incident…_

"So, what do you want me to do to make it up to you? Beg?" I sigh as I realize that it could be a very real possibility. _Open mouth, insert foot._

"Don't worry," she says with a smirk that sends a few shivers down my spine, "I'm sure I'll think of something." She watches the expression on my face for a few more seconds before standing up and walking off, the same smirk still on her face. _Great, she's a sadist. And she uses fire magic…_

I take a drink of water from the cup they'd given me and stood up, trying to erase the images of her standing over my charred body from my mind. I turn around, deciding to head outside, and nearly slam head-first into someone. "Oh, sorry!" I stammer out as I back-pedal. "Didn't see you there."

"It's fine." she says. "Actually, I was trying to work up the courage to come talk to you for a while now."

_Okay, what sick joke is this universe? You expect me to believe that this pretty girl actually came up to me and was nervous about it before-hand? Bull. Shit._ "U-um, alright. What did you want to talk to me about?" _Seriously, I call BS._

She goes slightly pale, making her dark blue eyes stand out more. _Stop it, brain. Just… Stop._ "Well, y-you see…" She suddenly bows down in front of me, nearly knocking me over and causing her red hair to fly into my face. She straightens back up, her face now deep red. "I'm sorry. C-can you please take me with you tomorrow?"

I'm sorry. What?

"I'm sorry. What?" I slowly shake my head as I try to make sense of this situation. _She's pretty, she seems kind, and she wants to come with us… Just why, universe? This __**has**__ to be a joke._ "W-why? Why do you want to come with us, I mean?"

She suddenly stands up much straighter, a confident look coming into her eyes. "Because I'm tired of just sitting here and doing nothing! Those bandits… they came and ruined our lives here! They didn't care about who they hurt, so long as they got whatever they wanted." _Well, bandits tend to work that way, so…_ "I'm tired of letting people just step on me. I'm going to take charge for once!" _Talk about spirit._

"So, you plan on fighting?"

"No. But I can be useful in other ways." She flashes me a smile that causes my heart to speed up a bit. "My dad's the town healer and he's taught me a few tricks of the trade. Plus, as a little incentive…" She takes out a small coin-purse from inside the white cloak that she's wearing. She tosses it once in the air before catching it, causing the coins inside to rattle. "Figured it might help. Five hundred gold pieces. Mind you, I know its not much, but its what I got." _No kidding, it's not much. I'm pretty sure a Bronze Sword costs almost that much. Still, we could use a healer…_

I gesture over to where Marco and Garrett are sitting over at the bar. "Talk to the big guy with the sword. He's kinda the leader of the group, I guess." I start to walk away, stopping only for a second. "By the way, I'll vouch for you if you'd like. Mind telling me your name, though?" _Alright, the universe isn't so sick. Good to know._

"Krysta."

I chuckle slightly. "Pretty name for a pretty girl." I take a single step forward before I realize what I just said._ Okay, not blaming the universe for that one. I'm just an idiot._ "U-uh… Good night." is all I manage to say before I make a mad dash for my room. I might just try to stick my foot in my mouth after this one.

* * *

_Again? Seriously?_ If I could've groaned, I would have. Back on the cold, wet pavement, with the noise of sirens in the background. _Definitely an ambulance… and… police? Guess if they found a body…_

"…ar…t…"

_Eh? Who's talking now? …A boy? Sounds familiar, but…_ I suddenly feel my skin leaving the pavement as, I suppose, two paramedics put me on a stretcher. _Ah, comfy. Better than the ground, I suppose._

"….alive…hospital…"

Normally, I'd complain that those were the only two words that I could make out, but I decided to let it slide. _Okay, so… I'm __**not**__ dead…_

_So… what am I?_ I suddenly feel that same feeling that I had before, as though I'm falling again. _Another world transition, eh?_

* * *

"So, are these a nightly occurrence or something?" I ask myself as I walk down the stairs to the entrance of the inn. _I feel like I'm a part of a bad murder-mystery story. Kind of like the ones Mom never stops watching._ I stop and grit my teeth slightly as memories of home start to flood back, trying to break through. _I can't do anything about my current situation, now can I? Crying about this won't get me anywhere. Just focus on today and let things play out, alright?_ I slam my hand down on the wooden railing to help focus myself before double-timing it down the stairs. I can already see the others standing near the entrance, waiting for me.

"So, what made you keep us waiting?" Myra asked, the same smirk on her face.

_Time to knock you down a few pegs, missy._ "Nightmares. I kept having this dream where this, this hideous witch with white hair and crazy red eyes kept chasing after me." I grin as her pale face starts to turn red. "What's wrong? You act like I just said something to offend you." _You're gonna have to earn the right to be smug around me, My-my. _

I turn my head as I hear Garrett give off a grunt. "Please don't tell me I'm going to be babysitting you two all the way to the camp. I'm starting to think that being in the gallows wouldn't be so bad…" He gives me a slight grin to show he's joking. "Anyhow, are we about ready to get going? It'll take us half the day to get there and it'd be best to attack at night."

_Let's see: Myra, Marco, Garrett, me, and…_ "Where's Krysta? Marco, didn't she talk to you last night?"

"Sorry I'm late." _Speak of the devil._ Her face is red as she throws open the inn's door and she's panting heavily. "Had to find one of our old Heal staves." She holds up the object in question. "Hope I didn't miss anything."

Marco lets out a brief chuckle before standing up from his seat. "Not at all, Krysta. We were just about to set out." He turned to Garrett and gave him a nod. "Now, you said you knew the way, correct?"

He holds up his right hand for us to see. "Like I know the back of my hand. Like I said, though; it'll take us half the day to get there. I suggest we get moving now, unless you want to lose the best chance for us to strike."

Myra clears her throat as she suddenly grabs everyone's attention. _Great, what does she want?_ "I don't mean to sound rude, but who are you?" she points her finger at Krysta, who, to my respect, doesn't back down in front of her.

"The name's Krysta. I'll be the one keeping you out of an early grave. Pleasure to be a part of the team." She shrugs as a confused look comes over Myra's face. "I'm guessing you're wondering how I'm part of the team. Hey, don't ask me. Talk to him; he's the one who told me to talk to Marco." She points in my direction and I smile again as some indignation comes over Myra's face.

I shrug and put on an innocent face. "I thought she might be useful. Besides, I just said I'd vouch for her, if necessary. Marco's the one who let her join." _Jeez, what's here problem? Wait… she still thinks I'm a perv, doesn't she?_ "Well, like Garrett's been saying, we've wasted enough time just sitting here. Shall we be off?" There are nods of approval all around, though Myra's still wearing a disapproving scowl, and before I can say 'To Ylisstol!' we're out the door and heading down the road to the bandit's camp. I take in a breath of fresh, country air as my heart starts to pound._ Things are about to get exciting. My sword hand's twitching with anticipation._

…_When did I turn into Owain?_


	4. Chapter 4: Bandit Troubles

**Chapter 4: Bandit Troubles**

The sun's just starting to hit its peak by the time the bandit fort comes into our view. I see Garrett put up his hand, motioning for us to stop. "Right, there she is. We took it over- er, they took it over when we- I mean, they decided to set up here." _We already know that you used to run with these guys, so why are you trying to make it sound like you were never there? _"It's an old fort from the war between Plegia and Ylisse. Made for a pretty good hideout." He lets out a slightly sad sigh as he scratches the back of his head. "Kinda breaks my heart to know I'm about to wreck my old stomping grounds. I helped build that place up, you know?"

"Uh, by build that place up, do you mean that you helped repair the fort when you all found it or that you built it up by kill-"

"It was a bit of both, alright?" he says quickly, cutting me off with a quick glare. "Anyways, we need a plan to get inside. Gath isn't too much of an idiot." He scratches the bottom of his chin for a second before continuing. "Actually, I take that back. He is an idiot, but his men aren't. While he's sitting on his throne, eating until his fat belly is full, they're gonna be getting ready for their next raid."

Marco steps up next to Garrett and looks down into the valley where the fort lays. "What about the prisoners? Where would they be kept at?" I go up to stand next to them as Garrett starts to explain.

"Alright, women and children will be kept at the west end of the prison, near the forest. Granted, that's _if_ they haven't decided to have… you know what, never mind that. The men will be kept separate, near the south end and in the basement. The boys set up a bit of a fighting arena in there. They promise the prisoners that if they survive the fight, they go free. Never happened. They'd always break an arm or a leg first; make sure that the poor fella can't fight back. I never joined in on it, myself. Always kinda left a bad taste in my mouth. Personally, if I'm gonna kill someone, might as well make sure they can at least fight back. There was one time where I met up with this guy who was drunk off his ass. I'd helped raid his village or something like that, don't really care to talk about it too much personally. Anyway, he pulls out a knife and challenges me. I say no and for the next day, he's stumbling after me, waving his knife and calling me every name under the sun. Finally, I get tired of it and-"

"For the love of Naga, shut up!" Krysta snaps, making us all jump. "Just get to the point and tell us where we need to go to rescue the people and kill the bandits! We don't need your life story, okay?" She stabs the ground with her staff before walking away and going to sit under a tree. _Damn. Didn't see that coming. Krysta, you gain respect +10. _I turn to look down at the valley, trying to plan something out.

From where I stand, I can see that there's pretty much open plain on three sides, with the forest near the side farthest from where we're standing. _Guessing that's the west side. We might be able to get someone over there and have them break in, sneak the prisoners out, and maybe cause a bit of mayhem. The only question is how we could do that… _"Starting to wish Robin was here…" I mumble under my breath. "She'd have a plan to get us in there and out before they could even notice us, I'd bet…" I slowly start rubbing my temples as a headache starts to form, likely from trying to plan this entire ordeal out. _Even if we can get in, we won't stand a chance against that many people. If only we had a way to split… them… up…_ I smack my fist into my palm as an idea suddenly pops into my head. "Guys, I've got probably the craziest idea ever."

"Oh, this should be interesting." Myra quips. _Shut up before I decide to change my plans around._ "I can only imagine what brilliant scheme you've come up with."

"Myra." Marco calmly says, making her quiet down. "Kale, just what is your plan?"

_They're going to think I've lost it but I'm not sure if I already haven't. _"Okay, look. Garrett said that the prisoners are on the west side, near the forest. I think Marco and Myra should head through the forest and try and figure out how to break in. Garrett, are there any places in the fort where they might be able to get in?"

"Might be. I remember hearing from one of the boys that some of the wall near there was starting to crumble. I imagine that if Myra blasted it with her spells, it might just work."

"Then the two of you'll be doing just that." I say to them. After they nod, I continue. "Now, the problem is that there's bound to be a lot of bandits inside. Now, Marco, I don't mean anything by this, but I don't think you'll survive if you tried taking on all the bandits. As soon as the wall crumbles, they'll start rushing towards you and considering you'll have to be protecting the prisoners, Myra, and yourself, I doubt you'd all make it out alive. Personally, I'd prefer that didn't happen."

"Afraid he's right, big guy." Garrett grumbles. "There's a lot of guys in there, too many for you to take on alone."

Marco sighs as he turns to look at me. "I don't like to admit it, but you're right. So, what are we supposed to do?"

_Here's the crazy part…_ "It's not what you're going to do. It's what Garrett and I are going to do, with Krysta backing us up." I let out a deep breath before I continue, anxiety building up in my mind as I prepare to finish telling them my plan. "Garrett and I are going to charge the fortress. The bandits will come out to meet us and we'll hold them off long enough for Marco and Myra to get the prisoners to safety. When they're safe, the two of them can meet back up with us and we'll finish them all together." _And here comes the-_

"Have you lost it?" -Marco

"You're right, that is a crazy plan." -Krysta

"I should've just stayed with the hicks…" –Garrett

"Have fun dying." –Myra

_-crazy comments… Thanks for still being a bitch, Myra. _"Well, anyone else have a better plan?" I wait for someone to speak up. After a few moments of silence, I shake my head. "I thought not. Look, I'm not much of a fan of my plan either, but it's the only one that I can think of that might let us all survive _and_ rescue the prisoners. Now then, lets-" I stop as I feel something that I _really _wish I never had to feel. I stumble back as my breathing starts to turn shallow and wheezy. I see the looks of concern on my friends' faces before I fall backwards. _Seriously? My asthma… now of all places?_

It's always been a concerning aspect of my life. A lot of people worry about their hearts or livers or arteries. Not me. My entire life, I've had to worry about my lungs. It doesn't happen often, but my asthma can get bad enough to cause me to have an attack. Let me tell you: there is nothing, I repeat, NOTHING scarier in the world than having the air basically sucked out of you. What's worse is that you can remain conscious through the really bad attacks, you can feel your body slowly numbing as it starves for oxygen, only your lungs refuse to give it any. Like I've said before, though, it never happens too often. Only in two specific circumstances really. Either I'm somewhere extremely dusty or I'm under a lot of pressure and stress.

Planning out a strategy that might mean the life or death for the live of your friends _and_ innocent people can really stress you out.

"Kale!" I hear Myra scream, fear in her voice. _Wait… is she actually… worried about me? I take it back, you aren't a bitch._ I feel an arm wrap itself around my midsection, slowly lowering me to the ground and placing me against a stone. "Kale, are you alright?" Myra asks me, her face suddenly… VERY CLOSE. I can actually see just about every detail of her face at this distance, including the concern that's filling her eyes. _That's… well… how should I feel about this? Isn't she the one trying to get revenge on me for being a 'pervert'?_

"Myra, give him some room!" Marco shouts, grabbing her by the shoulder and pulling her away and out of my field of vision. I try moving my head but my body doesn't want to respond. "He's having trouble breathing but he should be fine. Father had a similar ailment, remember?"

"Of course I do! Why do you think I… I mean if he…" she trails off as I hear the sound of… sobbing? _…oh… so their father… and I'm just like him…_ Suddenly I see Krysta sitting next to me, looking me up and down. _Right, her dad's the village healer, right? She'll know how to-_

"Do either of you know what's wrong with him?"

_And I had such high hopes for you… damn…_

"It's an ailment dealing with the body's ability to breathe. Our father suffered from a similar ailment. It would come and go at times, though usually a simple rest was all it took for him to regain his strength."

"No…" I wheeze, surprising everyone. "Not… waiting… People… need help…" Slowly, I start to stand, using the rock behind me to help. "I'm… okay… I swear…" I manage to gasp as I rise to my feet. I start taking a few steps forward. "Now let's-"

And suddenly the ground became a lot closer. I hear them all scream again, though I can hear a bit of annoyance in Myra's voice. _Okay, my fault. You can hate me for being stupid… _"Okay… a… little… rest…" I wheeze out before my world turns black.

* * *

_Is this… Heaven?_

Looking around my current surroundings, it's the only place that I can think of, though I thought it'd be more… filled. I'm simple floating in the middle of an empty white space. "Hello?" I call out, only for my voice to echo out indefinitely before fading away. "Well… that's depressing…" I murmur as I lay down on my back, letting out weary sigh. I raise my eyebrows as I look around my current abode, taking it all in. "You know, if this _is_ Heaven, then God could really use some tips on design. Not that I'm questioning the Almighty, it's just that-"

"Stop meddling."

I suddenly sit up as the voice rings out from nowhere, not realizing that I'm practically in a Zero-G environment. After I manage to stop myself from spinning around, and holding my lunch in, I look around for the source of the voice. "Hey, who said that? How am I meddling?" I shout, expecting a reply. "Answer me, will you!?" I shout again as there's nothing but silence. I'm about to shout again when I realize it'll be fruitless; if it didn't respond the first time. "Fine, don't answer, but at least have the decency to-"

* * *

"-send me back!" I shout. I hear someone next to me jump and as I open my eyes, I'm surprised to see Myra, of all people, sitting next to me. I sit up slightly, rubbing my eyes. "Sorry if I spooked you. Had a bit of a nightmare. Anyway, how long have I been out?" I quickly ask, trying to keep her from asking me what I was shouting about. _Thanks, mysterious asshole…_

"Uh, less than an hour." she replies, pointing up to the sky. Looking up, I'm relieved to see that the sun's still at about noonish. _Thank God… and Naga! I'm just glad I didn't cause us too lose too much time. _"So, I guess I'll go tell Marco that you're awake, alright?" She slowly stands up and brushes the dirt from her cloak.

"Don't bother." I mutter, rising to my own feet. "We've wasted enough time over me. If Marco finds out I'm awake, he'll probably try and make us wait longer. Those people are more important than me, alright?" I snap as she starts to raise an objection, my heart sinking slightly as she winces at my words. _Great, once again, I act like a jackass to her… How is it that even in another world, my skill at dealing with the opposite sex is __**still**__ at -100?_ "Sorry, I just want to help those people out, alright?"

"I understand. So do I. I'll go let Marco that you're ready to go. He'll probably say no, but…" She shrugs slightly. "It's not like he can say no if you're this dead-set on it. You'll just ignore him anyway, I'm sure."

"You know me too well." I say with a smile. As she turns to leave, I stop her. "Hey, Myra, wait. I… I heard about you're father and how he had something like I had, and, well…"

"Yes?"

"I'm just glad to know that you were actually a bit worried about me." I say, thinking back to how I'd heard her crying during my asthma attack.

She turns to face me, an annoyed look in her eyes. "I wasn't worried about you, alright? Seeing someone with the same problems as my father just brought back a few painful memories. The only thing I was worried about was you dying before I got my revenge on you." she says with a smirk, though I can see a hint of something else in her eyes. "Don't think you're out of the fire yet, pervert." With that, she walks away to where Marco, Garrett, and Krysta are sitting a few yards away.

I chuckle slightly as I pick up my scabbard, which had been placed on the ground next to me. "Even when she's conspiring to harm me, she's still cute." I mutter to myself. "Too bad she'd probably set fire to me if I told her that." _Could be worth it though…_ "Nah, I'll keep my skin non-charred for now."

"Kale! What do you think you're doing?" I hear Marco ask me. Standing up, I look to see the warrior- wow, he looks mad. Can fire explode out of peoples heads in this world like in an anime? That could be… interesting to watch, actually. "You need-"

"-to finish what I've started." I say, drawing my sword and holding it up to my face. "Yeah, we told those people we'd help just so we'd get a place to rest for the night but that doesn't mean we aren't still supposed to help. The longer we stand around, twiddling our thumbs, the better chances we have of losing those people. I don't want innocent people to die just because of me, alright? I feel fine enough to stand and fight, so let's get going."

"But-"

"I said, let's. Get. Going." I slowly say as I sheathe my blade and start walking down towards the fort. "You and Myra get going to the forest. Garrett and I will go ahead and start our attack." I pause momentarily before I continue walking. "Try not to die, alright? That goes for Myra, too. I can honestly say you two are the first friends I've made in a long time, so I don't want to have to bury you two, got it?" He grunts slightly before walking off and soon I hear Garrett and Krysta running up behind me. "You two, are you ready?"

Garrett chuckles darkly. "If by ready, you mean ready to get my ass handed to me, then hell yeah… You honestly think we're gonna survive this? I mean, I know there are at least fifty guys there at the moment. It's a pretty small band, but still."

"If we die, we die and if we live, we live. That's the way the world works." I say flatly. _Uh… I just quoted the AxeMan… the first guy I… killed… And I'm about to be killing more people…_ I can feel my stomach starting to turn over slightly, though I shake my head to rid it of these thoughts. "No time for killer's remorse. Fight now, feel bad later." I mutter under my breath, making sure neither of them can hear me.

Krysta picks up her pace slightly and falls into step beside me. "Okay, so while you and Garrett are fighting, what should I be doing?" _Right, she's never been in battle before._

"Just stay out of the way, alright? If possible, stay behind both of us. We'll keep the bandits off of you and you just patch us up if we suddenly get a gaping wound in us, alright?" She gives me a quick, determined nod before falling back slightly behind me. There's a nervous air around the three of us as we approach the front gate of- _wait, we're here already? I-I thought it was a lot further away… Guess time flies when you're prepping for battle._ Stepping out in front of the two of them, I cup my hands to my mouth. "Hey, assorted assholes and bastards! If any of you are smart enough to hear me, get your sorry selves down here and face the judgement that you- What's in my foot?" I look down as I feel a sharp pain in my right foot. _There's an arrow there… in my foot… MY FOOT!_

"Shit! My foot!" I yell as I grab it, jumping around like an idiot. Out of the corner of my eye, I swear as I see my two partners standing around, Krysta looking slightly confused and Garrett… trying to keep himself from laughing his ass off, from the looks of it. _Thanks, Garrett. I'll make sure to leave as many of the bandits to you. _Still hopping around, I whirl around on our healer. "Krysta, this counts as one of those times where we have a gaping wound!"

"But there's not much blood and there's no hole."

I stop jumping around in pain long enough to give her the most confused look I can currently muster. _Krysta… just… why?_ Sitting down on the ground, I place both hands around the shaft of the arrow and pull it out, tears stinging my eyes as I did so. "Krysta. Blood. Hole. Foot. Fix this!" I say to her, motioning at my now bleeding foot. I let out a sigh as she places the staff near my foot. There's immediately a- very, very painful sensation burning in my foot! "Son of a- Krysta, what'd you do? I asked for healing, not making my foot prefer impalement!"

"Quit your whining!" Garrett shouts as he lowers his axe in front of him. "She's having to fix bone, muscle, and flesh. Stitching that all together isn't gonna feel nice, now is it?" _…point, Garrett._ "It's your own damned fault for calling them out like that, now isn't it? Be glad our archers can't aim for their lives, otherwise, we'd all be pincushions!"

"So it was _LUCK_ that caused that guy to shoot me in the foot?!" I scream as Krysta's healing finishes. Surprisingly, my foot feels as good as new; no pain or anything. Before Garrett can respond, the gates of the fort open up and a wave of humanity charges out at us. By a wave, I mean about fifteen guys waving around axes and shouting like drunken morons. Then again, they may actually be drunken morons.

_*Thunk*_

Never mind, one of them has good enough aim with an axe to throw it directly between my feet. I draw my blade and run side-by-side with Garrett as we meet them head-on. _Remember, remorse later, killing now!_ I run this thought through my mind numerous times as the battle ensues. One of the bandits tries to decapitate me with a swing of his axe. I duck under and move behind him, stabbing him in the back before turning my attention to my next opponent, who swings overhead. _Not much ability with an axe there, guys…_ I step to the side as his attack misses, propelling him forwards and onto my sword. There's a look of surprise as I plunge it in deeper, the blade shooting out of his back, before kicking him off of it in time to use my sword catch an axe swing from someone else. _This is kinda frightening… I've never even used a sword before and I'm able to counter, block, and parry like I've done this my whole life. Did something happen when I entered this world, or have I always been able to do this, like an instinct? _ I shake off the idea of me being a natural born killer in time to throw back my assailant and lash out with my sword. The end of the blade runs across his neck, splitting it open and showering me with- _Don't think about it, don't think about it, don't think about it…_ I try and keep my focus as I look over to see how Garrett is doing.

I wish I hadn't. Looking at his fighting, I see now what getting hit by one of those axe swings will do to- oh, so that's what half a brain looks like. Wonderful to know. In between making sure that all of my limbs remain attached to my body and killing those who'd separate us, I notice something odd about the way Garrett fights. Instead of charging up to the enemy and swinging wildly like them, he stays still while they charge him, waiting until their close enough before bisecting them with a single chop. I remember hearing about that style of fighting before: iaido, the art of removing your sword from its scabbard, finishing the enemy in one blow, removing the blood, and placing it back in the scabbard, all in one movement. He's pretty much doing all of these things, minus the scabbard part. _Guess he's a practitioner of iaxedo._

_I really just thought that, didn't I?_

Ignoring my brain's capability to produce horrible, horrible puns, I continue on with the fight, ignoring the fact that I'm slowly becoming part of the Red Man Group. _(There I go again. Bad puns aplenty, ready to distract me in the heat of battle…)_ As I drive my sword through the last bandit's chest, I look up and let out a heavy sigh at the force I see coming towards us. "Garrett… is that your boss?" I tiredly say.

"Yep. That's Gath."

_Wonderful._ Coming towards us, with a group of what looks to be about fifteen more bandits, is possibly the largest, fattest guy I've ever seen in Fire Emblem, aside from Gheb. Maybe. The armor covering his torso is barely able to fit over his protruding belly and it looks like he's in danger of falling over every time he takes a step. It'd be pretty funny if it weren't for the bloodlust in his eyes and the axe he had slung over his shoulder.

"Kill 'em, boys! First man to bring me one of their heads gets a big, juicy piece of meat tonight!" he shouts. The bandits all give a war-cry before charging towards us. I let out a groan as I start running forward, stopping when I hear something fly by my head. _Archers!_ Standing behind the wall of flesh that his Gath, I can see maybe ten archers standing at the gate, all with their bows ready. Even if their aim is horrible, we're directly in their path. _If they all shoot at once, we're screwed._

"Garrett, break off to the side! They've got archers at the front! Krysta, with me!" I yell as I run to the right of the oncoming tide of bandits, cutting down two of them to get their attention. As I turn to face my opponents, I let out a sigh of relief as I see Garrett and Krysta took my advice. Now, the archers can't hit us from inside and will have to come out if they want to-

_*BOOM*_

"The hell was that?" Blubber yells as the noise from the explosion fades away. _Was that Myra? Didn't know fire magic could make __**that**__ much of an explosion._ "Men, kill 'em while I go to find out what the hell that was!" he commands as he waddles _(it's the best way I can describe how he walks, seriously) _away. Before I even have a chance to go after him, a pair of bandits charge me from either side of me. _Oh, I can't pass this one up. I'd hate myself for passing this up._ I wait until they're both relatively close to me, their axes held out to the side to cut me in half. As they start to swing, I jump back and out of their path. _Physics, do your thing!_ I watch with a mixture of amusement and disgust, and possibly some horror that I find it amusing, as the two of them dig their axes into each others sides. There's a moment where they both look at each other in disbelief before they fall back to the ground.

"Kale! Garrett!"

Both of us turn around to see three bandits slowly advancing on Krysta, wicked smiles on their faces. _Shit, we're too far away! _"Krysta! Run!" I shout as I start running towards her, only for another of the bastards to step in my path. "Damn you!" I yell as I duck under his axe and cut through his midsection, running past him as soon as the first drops of blood start hitting the ground. I watch in fear as one of the men grab Krysta around the arm and raises his axe, ready to deliver-

"Sorry, but this is your last dance!"

_Wait, why does that line sound familiar?_ I get my answer in the form of a young man with light brown hair coming from… well, I'm not sure where actually. He just kinda… appeared. _Then again, Lucina has that habit too. Guess Inigo can do the same thing, if he wants to._ What's important is that Inigo comes out of nowhere and manages to catch the man holding Krysta by surprise, cutting him down before he can even see him. The other two bandits turn on him, but by now, I'm standing next to the future child, my eyes blazing in anger as I place myself between them and Krysta.

"Thanks for the assist." I tell him as we square off with the bandits. "Mind giving me a name so I can properly thank you?" Before he can answer, the two bandits lunge at us. I drop to one knee and thrust my blade upwards, catching one of them in the stomach, while Inigo lops off the other one's head, spinning around as he does so. _Guess his dancing worked its way into how he fights…_ I tear my sword out of my opponent, kicking him to the ground before I face Inigo. "Now that that's taken care of, who are you and where'd you come from?"

He smiles as he completely ignores me and walks over to where Krysta is standing, a light-red blush coming over her face as he takes her hand. "Hello there. My name is Inigo. Mind if I-"

"No, mind if I cut in?" I ask him as I place my blade in between the two of them. _You see, this is why you're not in my top five!_ "So, it's Inigo, is it? Mind telling us where you came from?"

A look of unease crosses his face as I step between him and Krysta, my blade still at his chest. "Calm yourself friend. No need for bad blood. Rather, consider this repaying a debt that I owe you."

"A de- what?"

"A debt. Wasn't it your two friends who broke me and the other prisoners out of that bandit keep?" _Wait, Inigo was prisoner? …then again, I wouldn't be surprised if there were several bandits after his head. There's a reason womanizers never quite seem to live long. _"Yes, the lovely girl with the white hair and the fierce-looking warrior, that's who they were! Of course, I doubt I'd be able to forget them, given how wonderful she looked and how… dangerous he looked."

I chuckle slightly as I sheathe my sword. "Well, Inigo, if you want danger, I suggest going after her. Remember the big guy with the sword?" He nods once. "That's her big brother." I have to suppress the laughter that's building up inside of me as his eyes become as big as saucers and his mouth drops open in shock. "Yeah, they're related and I know from experience that he's rather protective of her. Anyway, we've still got a job to do. Care to join us?" I ask, motioning at the fort. Garrett's already taken the liberty of reducing the archers to bloody piles of flesh for us and is currently standing in the middle of it all, tapping his foot in annoyance.

"Eh, sure. Why not?" he says, though his usual cheer seems to have vanished. _Dude. It's one girl. Get. Over. It. God, you chase more tail than just about any other character in Fire Emblem than I can think of._

"Right, then let's get going. I think a large pig managed to sneak by us and-"

"Who're you calling a pig, squirt!?" Gath asks as he walks out from inside the fort, carrying, to my and Inigo's horror, a limp and unconscious Myra over his shoulder. "Now, drop all your weapons or I'll cut off her pretty little head!" he shouts.

Begrudgingly, Inigo and I both comply, though Garrett does something strange. Instead of dropping his axe, he walks over to one of the fallen bandits and picks up another, smaller axe. "So, Gath old buddy." he starts, throwing the axe into the air and catching it again. "I'm sure you remember me, right? It's me, Garrett. Remember, Garrett the Butcher? Garrett, the Master of the Axe? Garrett, your right-hand man?!" His tone suddenly becomes as sharp as the axe he's holding in his hand. "Or was it Garrett, the man you left for dead?"

Gath lets out a bellowing laugh as he drops Myra to the ground and places the head of his axe against her head. She lets out a faint moan of pain as he presses down on her skull. "So what, Garrett? You know how being a bandit works. How many people have _you_ left for dead, eh? Hell, most of them were in better condition than you were at the time, and you still left them behind."

Something dark flashes over Garrett's face as Gath lets out another laugh. "You're right, I did. And I'm not gonna lie and say that I didn't enjoy being a bandit. There were a hell of a lot of perks: free food, free gold, always someone itching for a fight." He tosses the axe in the air again and catches it. "Hell, I won't even say I regret my time as a bandit, because I didn't. There's only one thing I ever regret doing: wasting my life serving under your fat ass!" With that, and before anyone can react, he throws the axe directly at Gath, who watches in surprise as it sinks into his arm, cutting straight through it. Both limb and axe fall to the ground in a sickening splat. "Oh yeah, I had one last name, didn't I? Garrett the Savage!" he shouts as he picks up his axe and charges Gath, bringing his weapon over his head as he runs up to him. The large man can only watch as Garrett brings down his weapon. I turn away as it connects, though from the look on Inigo's face, I'm glad I did. _I had no idea someone could turn that green…_

"Myra!" I turn around and- ah God, why'd I do that? Damn Garrett, just… damn… I try and ignore the pile of flesh that was Gath and walk over to Marco, who, despite being pretty well bloodied, looks no worse for the wear and is hovering over his sister. "Myra, wake up! Myra!" he shouts, roughly shaking her shoulders. She lets out a faint groan and opens her eyes, much to everyone's relief.

"She'll live." Garrett says bluntly as he looks down on the remains of his boss. "Gath was the biggest coward of our entire gang. He wouldn't have the guts to actually kill her. At most, she'll have a bad headache." He roughly kicks Gath's remains before turning to face us, causing a few… parts to spill out. _Dammit, Garrett… I already feel like puking_. "So, how'd that even happen?"

"Bastard snuck up behind her while I was helping free the captives. He hit her and just picked her up. I chased after him, but a couple of his goons jumped out at me. Krysta, get over here and make sure Myra's okay, alright?"

Krysta jumps at the mentioning of her name, as if she just remembered that she's in this world. She runs past Marco as he limps towards us, holding his left leg. "Uh, Marco-"

"It's just a flesh wound. They nicked me a few times, is all." he says. Turning to Inigo, he frowns slightly. "Wait, aren't you the guy who turned tail and ran out the moment we freed the prisoners? Actually, I've been meaning to ask that: why were you with the women and children, anyway?"

Inigo suddenly goes from green to probably the palest I've ever seen someone. "Er, well, that is…" He nervously taps the ground with his foot as he tries to get an answer. "Ah, that reminds me! I have to go and meet someone today! Well then, I must be off." He quickly starts to turn away, only for Marco to grab him by the back of his collar. "…may I ask what the problem is?" he asks in a small voice.

"Marco, let the poor fella go." I mutter as I look at the carnage of the battleground. _Ugh… my stomach doesn't like this._ "He helped save Krysta and took out a few of the bandits. From what I can tell, he's just some womanizer. He probably snuck into the woman's prison to try and win some of them over." I ignore the look on Inigo's face as I tear off a piece of one of the bandits' cloaks and wipe my blade with it, clearing off the blood. "Let him run off and enjoy his merry little life. We've got more important things to do." I say, a startling lack of emotion in my voice. I sheathe my sword as I start to walk away from the fortress. "Let's get the villagers back home, alright?" I can feel everyone staring at me as I walk away, but I don't care. Because, at the moment…

…I don't feel anything…

* * *

_***Well, this took longer to get out than I expected. To be honest, I've had it nearly finished for a couple of days now. I just had a few finishing touches to put on it before I felt it was ready. Unfortunately, a slight issue came up...**_

_**Guess that's the problem with starting your senior year of high school, huh?**_

**_Anyway, I'll try and get these chapters out at a better pace now. Hopefully, if everything goes right, I should be able to get one out once a week. Granted, that's still a stretch, but I can hope, right?_**

**_Right?_**

**_Anyway, thank you for being patient with me and I apologize for how long it took for this to come out. If you'd like, maybe you could leave a review? Give me some thoughts, some feedback, criticisms... just nothing too harsh. Please? Regardless, thank you for reading this and I hope you enjoyed it. Have a nice day.*_**


	5. Chapter 5: Killer's Remorse

**Chapter 5: Killer's Remorse**

I sigh inwardly as the villagers of Alech let out another cheer of thanks for saving their people and ridding the area of the bandit scum. _Yaaaaaaay… _A bit of a quick summary of our return as the 'Heroes of Alech': they prepared a massive feast for all of us, which I decided not to partake in (_killing tends to kill my appetite… and so do unintentional puns…)_. Garrett was welcomed in with open, if not hesitant, arms. Krysta was hailed as a town hero, her father (_at least I assume it was him_) with a beaming smile on his face as he watched her carried through the streets by the villagers. Marco and Myra mostly kept to themselves, letting the other two bask in the limelight, though I did see a few men and women looking at the two of them during the festivities. Of course, Inigo was still up to his old game: from the time we left the fortress to right now, he's done nothing but flirt with anything wearing a skirt. (_Good God man, learn what it means to have standards…_) As for me, well, aside from upsetting the handful of girls that had asked me to dinner, I'd kept to myself. At the moment… it just seems wrong to celebrate. _I swear, if they let out another-_ I let out another sigh as the townsfolk apparently have ESP, letting out another cheer. _That's it, I'm out. _Standing up, I quietly steal out of the inn and head out into the night, taking in a quick breath as the cold night's air hits me. Considering I have no sleeves on my jacket, I should honestly be freezing.

It's not like I mind the cold. Heck, winter is my favorite season just for that reason, as odd as it may sound. At the moment, though, the cold feels… cold, for lack of a better analogy. As redundant as that sounds, it's the best I've got. "Guess I deserve to be cold, don't I?" I mutter to myself as I just… start walking. I'm not sure where I'm going but I just need to walk, collect my thoughts. _And God, don't I have a lot of them…_

I guess… the first thing on my mind would be… me. Or rather, what I've become. I shouldn't… I mean, how am I able to do all of this? "Alright, 'Kale', when did you suddenly become a murderous badass?" I mumble to myself. Not a single thing makes sense to me. I'm not nearly this coordinated, quick, strong… any of it! The closest thing I've come to holding that was a sword was a machete and the only time I've come close to fighting using a sword was back in the fourth grade, when my friends and I wouldpretend to sword fight, and even then it was only with soft foam bats. Granted, it hurt like hell when you got hit hard enough, but still. _I've changed… definitely. This world, I think my body's adapting itself to it. Or maybe, the world's just bringing out things that I could already do…_

"Things that I could already do… like kill?" Saying those words leaves me chilled, not from the night air. I can't really deny the fact that I've pretty much become a killer. I saw the bodies at the fortress, the blood on the ground and on my blade; I'm a killer, whether I want to admit it or not. It's an odd feeling, knowing that you've taken lives: you feel weighted down, like the person that you've just killed is now resting on top of your shoulders, reminding you constantly of what you did.

It isn't a pleasant sensation.

I stop mid-walk as I realize that I'm doing something, a bit of a nervous habit. My thumb and index fingers on my left hand are rubbing the base of my right hand's ring finger. I smile faintly as I realize that I still have that small trait; whenever I would wear my class ring, I would always twist it around my finger whenever I was nervous or anxious or upset. Kinda funny that I'm missing such a small object, like my class ring. I mean, it was nice looking and all, but it wasn't anything too special. I guess it's true what they say: you never quite know what you have until it's gone.

_H- Kale, focus! This isn't the time to start missing a damn ring!_ I shake my head, trying to focus, when I notice something: my hands are still bloodied. Looking down, I see all of my garments are stained in a similar manner. "Son of a…" I let out a sigh as I realize that, in the 'festive and excited' moments after we returned to Alech with the villagers in tow, I'd forgotten to clean myself up. _Well, that's fucking wonderful. I probably look like a butcher that just had a bad day at work. Glad I decided to skip the food tonight…_ As a sudden thought hits me, I draw my sword and hold it up to the moonlight, the corners of my mouth turning downwards as I see blood still caked on the blade. "Did I just completely forget how to do anything? Now I've got to find something to clean this with…" With a growl, I sheathe my sword before balling up my fist and punching the walls of one of the, thankfully empty, houses. "I shouldn't even _have _toclean a bloodied sword, dammit!" I shout to the sky. I can feel a few tears forming in my eyes as I slowly slump down the side of the house. "I shouldn't have to kill anyone to survive… I shouldn't have to kill at all…" _Why am I even here?_ I ask whatever deity is listening. _I know… that I'm either dead or dying in my world. That's great and all, but what does that have to do with me being here? Am I even here? Is this just some dream my mind's created to help me… deal, with the fact that I'm about to die?_

God help me, it seems that every single time I try and figure out something else about my situation, I just wind up wanting to rip my own head off. I can understand how none of this would make sense. It's not everyday that you wind up in a completely different world, one that you thought only existed in a video game, and go around messing with stuff, fighting bandits, and slaying zombie-like monstrosities. "Just wish I had some clarity, something to help me understand what put me here."

I'm interrupted from my thoughts as a gold coin bounces onto the ground in front of me. Looking up, I see Garrett standing in front of me, a slight grin on his face. " 's for your thoughts, kid." he says quietly before sitting down on the wall next to me. I can tell he's been drinking, though its not just because of the fact that he has a bottle in his hand. His breath… _Well, there's just one more reason to never drink._ "You were kinda missed at the party, mate. Marco had all the hicks quiet down for a bit so he could thank you for your 'brilliant' strategy. Should've seen the look on his face when you didn't show up; I'd stay away from him tonight." He takes a sip of his drink before he continues on. "So, what the hell are you doin' out here? You're the man of the damned hour! Come on, celebrate and enjoy life for a little! Marco told me that we'd be moving out in the mornin', saying something about us heading north to Ylisstol. Dunno why though…" He shrugs before taking another sip of his… whatever they have here for beer, and lets out a loud belch.

"Lovely." I mutter, earning a slight chuckle and a grin from the bandit/ex-bandit. Still not quite sure of what I should refer to him as. "Garrett, mind if I ask you something? Something serious?"

The smile on his face immediately disappears. "Killer's remorse, eh?" he asks, as though it were an everyday thing. _Then again, it might be in this world. If it is, they sure didn't stress it enough in the game._ He sets his bottle down before leaning back against the wall, a frown creasing his face. "Its not some lucky guess, let me tell you that right now, kid. Just about everybody I've met that's killed someone, even the guys that I ran with, felt it at some point or another. Most of them were lucky enough to feel it right off the bat; they managed to get the pain and suffering of it out fast. The others carried it inside of them for a long while, letting it bottle up until they just collapsed from it all. Scary sight to see a full-grown man, strong enough to break your neck with his bare-hands, collapse to the ground sobbing like a newborn. It's… unsettling, to say the least. What's worse is when it happens in the middle of a fight. One of my old buddies, Naga bless him, though I can't remember his name, had it happen to him during a raid. He just froze as we burst into the town and dropped his lance, tears running down his face. Earned him an arrow to the eye, it did."

_You sure one of your old nicknames wasn't 'Garrett the Rambler'?_ "So, are you trying to tell me something?" A sudden shock of surprise hits me as the big man puts his hand on my shoulder and turns to face me, his eyes dead-set.

"Look. I know this is just killing you right now, alright? But you've got to look at it this way: you're feeling it now, when the blood's still fresh. It means you've got something a lot of folks don't have anymore: a heart." He gives my shoulder a pat before grabbing his bottle of… whiskey, I'm guessing, and standing up. "Well, I think I'll head back to the inn. Met a fine looking lass back there and, well, let's just say the girls around here love scars." He points to the one going down the side of his face before grinning and turning around.

"Garrett, wait." I stop him just as he's about out of earshot. Before he can turn around, I ask him my question. "You've said you've seen other people experience it. Well, how'd you deal with it? The remorse, I mean." I notice his shoulders visibly slump as the bottle in his hand nearly falls. _I just hit a nerve, didn't I?_

"Never said I went through it myself, did I?" His voice is nearly emotionless, though there's sadness behind it. "I'm twenty-four and I've been killing and stealing for half of my life. Not once have I ever felt sorry about any of it. Like I said, count yourself lucky, kid. You have a heart, at least." Before I can say anything, he walks off, leaving me alone with several things running through my head. Three thoughts immediately pop into my head. One: _Holy shit, he's only seven years older than me? _Two: _Damn, I feel bad for him._ And three: _So, I have a heart apparently. Good to know that wasn't changed when I came here…_

But the question still hovers over me. Garrett said that almost everyone's gone through this at some point or another. While that's good to know, as it doesn't mean that I'm some heartless beast, it does make me afraid of one thing. I don't know when it'll end. Or, if it even will.

Can I get over the fact that I've taken a life?

Shaking my head, I feel my feet start moving in the direction of the inn. Good, because I think I need some rest.

* * *

As I crack open the door to the inn, which, by the way, was harder to find than I'd expected, as I'd apparently wandered across the entire village, I'm glad to see that no one's around. The townsfolk have all apparently gone to bed, for which I'm grateful. I doubt I could handle someone trying to thank me for saving them. Yeah, I'm glad I saved them, but it doesn't mean much when I feel horrible for killing bandits. _How am I so hung up over killing bandits? They're murdering scum who would just as soon put an axe into my gut than try and be friends. Of course, I don't know why any of them were bandits in the first place. Any of them could've just been lost souls, people who needed the money and had no other place to… _I stop midstride to bang my head against one of the wooden poles in the inn, trying to get the debate inside my head to stop.

"That's… probably pretty bad for your health, you know."

Krysta's voice startles me and I immediately spin around to see her standing at the foot of the stairs, wearing a white nightgown and carrying a lit candle in her hands in one of those… weird candle holder thingies. "Why are you up? Wait, why are you even staying in the inn? Don't you have a father and a house where you can stay?" _Wait, Garrett did say that he'd found… She's from the village and her hair is a bit of a mess… Oh God and Naga, please no! That… just no! NOT RIGHT! UNDO, UNDO! Ctrl + Z! BAD IDEA UNI-_

"Well, since I'm going to be travelling with you all, I thought it'd be best if I stayed the night with you. I… wanted to get used to how staying with all of you would be. That, and…" Even with the only light coming from the candle, I can still see the blush on her face. "…I guess I was worried about you. Ever since the battle, you've been really distant from the rest of us. I never even got the chance to say 'thank you' for rescuing me from those bandits."

_Alright, somewhat disturbing crisis averted. All clear. _"Well, to be fair, Inigo got two of them. Plus, he was really the one who saved you. If he hadn't been there, I doubt I would've gotten there in time. So, if you want to go thank someone, go thank-" I'm interrupted as she suddenly places a kiss on my cheek, my face turning red and suddenly feeling like its on fire. "Uh, y-you probably shouldn't do that. I'm still kinda bloodied from the battle and-" Her sudden coughing and sputtering tells me that she either got the message or the taste.

"Agh, for Naga's sake Kale! Why haven't you cleaned up yet?" She looks me up and down once, her brow furrowing in confusion. "My goodness, have you looked at yourself lately? You looked like you just stepped out of a blood-bath." Apparently, she realizes what she says just a fraction of a second too late, as she immediately puts her hand to her mouth.

"I kinda just did, didn't I?" I ask, my voice losing all emotion again. "Cut-and-run, slice-and-dice, hack-and-slash; its all I did today. It shouldn't exactly be surprising that I look like this, now should it?" Sighing, I shake my head. "Look, do you know where I can wash up? I'm tired of feeling all of this… grime on me." She merely raises her free hand and points off to a door near the back of the room. "Thanks. I'll just leave my clothes out. I guess someone will pick them up and clean them." I quickly make for the room, leaving her by herself. Upon entering, I find that its not much more than a basin of water and a few buckets, but it'll work. I quickly undress, fold my clothes, wash up, and wrap a towel around my, erm, area before heading back to my room. I smile faintly as I see a set of bed-clothes laying neatly folded on the sheets. They're nothing special, just a white cloth shirt and similar pants, but they're something at least. After putting them on, its not long before I drift off to a dreamless slumber.

At least, I wished it had been dreamless.

* * *

_This is kinda fun actually. _I think to myself as I do a breaststroke through the white void I'm in. The place is remarkably easy to move around in, almost like a pool, minus the possibility of drowning. I've always enjoyed swimming, especially after having a bad day, so being able to do this now is somewhat of a boon. It helps me relax a bit, at the very least.

"Why do you insist on meddling?"

I stop my 'swimming' as the voice begins to echo out again, turning around slightly so that I'm looking up towards the top of the area. (_At least, I think it may be the top…)_ "Okay, would you mind telling me _how_ I'm 'meddling'? The message kinda loses all meaning whenever I don't know what you're talking about."

Surprisingly, the voice actually answers back, though not by speaking. The air in front of me starts to shine for a moment before a small figure appears before me. My eyes widen in shock as I recognize it almost instantly. I mean, how could I forget saving them when I had to kill my first person to save them? "You mean that baby? I 'meddled' by saving a _baby_!? What was I supposed to do, let the two bastards cut it apart?" I shout, though my voice seems to become lost in the emptiness of the void. I slowly shake my head as I receive no reply. "Well look here, buddy. If you're trying to make me feel bad or something for saving a baby, _a baby_, then you're an absolute idiot! Besides, its not like I don't feel bad enough. So yeah, I meddled: what of it?"

In answer, the floating baby disappears, being replaced with a small black butterfly. As it slowly beats its wings, I frown. _You've got to be… The Butterfly Effect?_ "So, by saving that baby, who was apparently supposed to die, which is extremely fucked up, I might add, I've started something which is, I assume, bad and counts as 'meddling'. Am I getting this all right or should I try again?"

"Just stop meddling."

I don't have time to reply, as the entire area goes dark, the voice's words ringing in the darkness.

* * *

I wake up to someone pounding on my door. _Ugh, I thought I might've been able to leave this behind back in my world…_ "Alright, alright, I'm up! Just stop the racket, alright?" I say as I walk over to the door. Throwing it open, I have no time to react as Marco grabs me by the collar of my shirt and pulls me close to his face. "Guessing you're kinda pissed off, huh?"

"A bit, yes. Garrett told me about what you're going through." he says after a small period of silence, releasing me. "You should've told me, told any of us. Damn it all Kale, we're a team, aren't we? I thought we were going to be working together. If you're suffering, then you shouldn't have to do it alone." Even though his expression is extremely pissed off looking, I'm at least somewhat touched by the fact that he was worried about me. "I've gone through this myself. It's a real pain, but I managed to pull through. You know how? I had my sister with me. This isn't something that you can deal with by yourself, at least not very easily."

I let out a brief sigh (_I've been doing that way too much) _before I respond. "Look Marco. I appreciate the fact that you're worried about me, truly I am. But… This is just something that I'm going to have try to get through on my own, alright?" I hold up my hands before he can say anything. "I've always been this way. If I have a problem, I need to face it myself. I can't let someone else help me out. Yeah, it makes me a complete jackass but that's just the way it is. I will promise you this, though: if it does become too much for me to handle, I'll take your help then."

"I… suppose I can accept that." he says, folding his arms and nodding his head. "Even I'll admit, I'm a bit of the same way. Myra had to force me to accept her help. I'm not going to force it, but I am going to hold you to your promise."

"If there's one thing I'm good for, it's holding a promise." I say, extending my hand. He gives me a small smile before taking it firmly. "So, Garrett says we're heading to Ylisstol. Any reason why? I thought you might want to avoid that place, given… the circumstances, you know?"

"Eh, I thought about that myself. It's a risk, but its one that we'll have to take. Wandering around looking for jobs won't get us anywhere. If we have a place where we can settle down and establish a headquarters, the jobs will come in a bit easier, with any luck." He closes his eyes as he starts to think. "We'll be facing competition with the Shepherds, given the fact that they're much more famous and they have Prince Chrom as they're leader, but that doesn't mean they can do everything." _If only you knew, my friend. If only you knew…_ "I figure that we can take some of the smaller jobs: bandit extermination, ending feuds, and adding our forces to someone's army, so long as they aren't doing anything too horrible."

"Sounds like a plan to me. So, we leave today?"

He nods once. "Yes, we will, though not until later. Garrett is currently… indisposed, after last night. We'll have to wait for him to recover. After that, it'll take us about two days to reach the capital." He starts to turn to leave, only to stop halfway. "Since you're up, I'll have Krysta bring up your clothes. She washed them for you this morning. Gods Kale; how did you forget to clean yourself up after a fight like that?" He must've caught the expression on my face, as he immediately turns his eyes to the ground. "Ah, right. My apologies. Your sword has also been cleaned; I'll send it up with Krysta and your clothes." With that, he walks through the doorway, closing the door behind him.

_To Ylisstol, huh? Wonder if I'll run into Chrom and the Shepherds. Then again, they may already be heading to Regna Ferox, so probably not. _I shrug and plop down on my bed, staring up at the ceiling as last night's dream starts to catch up with me. _So, I save an innocent child and I apparently start something. Guess that's life for you; no good deed goes unpunished. Seriously though, how can a single child cause trouble?_ I frown slightly as I remember the butterfly. _Well, its not like the voice __**said**__ the kid would cause any trouble. Maybe he'll turn out to be a good person. Granted, he could turn out to be worse than Grima, but…_

"Let's take this one step at a time…" I mutter to myself as I hear someone knock on the door. _Besides, how could he be as bad as Grima? That's just not possible, right?_

…_right?_

* * *

**_*Right, first things first. I'm sure that you all know the drill by now, but thank you all for reading this. It really brightens up your day when something you make can make someone smile, no matter what the smile's for. I'm sure you're all getting tired of hearing that and I understand, but there's a bit of bad news with that: I'm just that kind of guy. WAY too thankful sometimes, I guess._**

**_Anyway, I apologize if this chapter might not have been up to snuff when compared to the others. I'm fighting off a bit of a cold at the moment and I'm worried it may have affected me a bit. If there was any glaring problem with this chapter, I'd really appreciate some feedback on what it was._**

**_So, that's my little bit of a ramble. As always, thank you for reading and have a nice day.*_**


	6. Chapter 6: To Ylisstol! but first

_***Not sure if this is really needed but... I don't own Fire Emblem: Awakening or any Fire Emblem games. I only own my own characters.***_

* * *

**Chapter 6: To Ylisstol! …but first a slight detour…**

_Okay, sword? Check. Vulnerary? Check, and I think it's good for two more uses… I'll probably save them and let Krysta do some of the healing. She could use the experience._ After adjusting the scabbard of my sword for the umpteenth time _(I'm starting to think the whole 'possessed sword' idea may actually hold water; the hilt keeps stabbing me in the side)_ and packing away what very little I have, I start heading to the door of my room. Just like Marco said, Krysta had brought up my clothes, blood-stain free and smelling oddly like flowers, and my spotless, though completely a pain in the ass, sword. Just having them with me again feels strangely comforting, even though I was drenched in blood wearing them only twenty-four hours ago. _Let's try and put that out of our mind, shall we?_

"Hey, Kale, are you ready yet?" I hear Myra, because of course it had to be her, shout from outside of my door. Before I can answer, the door opens up and she strides right in, as if she owns the entire inn. "Well, it looks like you are. Good. We were all getting tired of waiting for you."

_And the Bitch-Queen lives! I thought she'd be like the others and actually feel somewhat sympathetic. Good to know you live up to expectations._ I look up and shake my head, putting my palm to my forehead. "Oh, I'm sorry Myra. I was just a bit tired is all; killing hordes of bandits that want to lob off your head can really take it out of you. Though, you seem like you're pretty well-rested after all of that. I wonder why that is…" I stop to pretend to think for a moment before snapping my fingers. "That's right, it's because you were taking a nap after that big boar of man managed to sneak up behind you and take you hostage." I give her the smuggest look I can muster as I see her face turning redder by the second. "Just _how_ did Gath manage to sneak up on you anyway? What, you didn't notice the walking tub of meat coming your way?" _Good job Kale, throw more fuel onto the fire. Stop now, while you still can._

"You… you…" She balls her fists up in anger as her face turns remarkably red, almost the same shade as her eyes. "That's it! I'm adding this to your punishment! I swear I'll make you suffer like you've never suffered before, you perverted-"

"Wait, I'm perverted? Who barged into whose room without knocking? For all you knew, I was completely au naturel." I say, cutting her off. A fiendish smile plays across my face as I look at her. "You know, if I didn't know any better, I'd almost think that you were hoping to get a little look at me. A bit of 'you show me yours and I'll show you mine', perhaps?" I'm not really surprised at what I say; my friends and I would joke around like this all the time, even some of my girl friends. Though at this point, I know I'm pretty much digging my own grave with her, but the look on her face… I could face Grima him/her/itself today, die, be reincarnated, be killed by him/her/it again, and it would all be worth it just to see her like this! It's a mixture of shock, embarrassment, anger, and so much more that just completely changes her from the raging fiery mage she was earlier into a slack-jawed, flabbergasted girl who- OH GOD, SHE HAS HER FIRE TOME!

"YOU SICKO!" She screams as she flips open the book and holds her hand out towards me, an orb of fire forming in her palm. "I'LL BURN YOU TO ASH FOR THAT!"_ Okay, I went too far! Once again, my tongue causes me problems!_

"Whoawhoawhoawhoawhoa!" I shout, stepping back hurriedly and putting my arms out in front of me. "Myra, Myra, Myra, it was a joke, alright?! I didn't actually mean it like that!" I give her the best sincere smile I can, given that I'm currently looking Death in the face and boy, is she pissed.

"TOO LATE! TIME TO B-"

"Myra, I doubt the villagers would appreciate it if you burned down the inn." Marco says, rapping the door with his knuckles. Despite the fact that he was just about to watch me get vaporized by his little sister, he seems remarkably undisturbed. _Why am I not surprised that this might be a reoccurring thing with her?_ "Besides, he has a fair point, even if I wouldn't have said it like he did. Knock before you go into someone's room, okay? Now, put down the Fire tome and go downstairs; despite his mouth, Kale's still somewhat useful around here." _**Somewhat useful**_ _…so should I feel insulted or should I take that as a compliment?_

With a sound that was a mix of a growl and a sigh of disappointment, and a stare that makes me glad people can't kill with their eyes, Myra storms out of the room. Marco opens his mouth to start talking, only for a loud crash, followed by someone screaming in surprise and someone else, someone familiar, letting out an angry shout. _Sounds like someone bumped into Myra… Sorry, random NPC! You shall __**not**__ be remembered!_ Marco leans back against the doorframe, poking his head around it, and grimaces at what he sees before turning back to me. "Gods alive… Kale, do you make it a habit to make her angry? First the whole bath ordeal, then the robe incident, and now this? I'm not going to be around here to save you from her wrath forever, you know."

I shrug lightly, a smile playing on my lips. "What can I say? She brings out the worst in me. Plus… it's kinda entertaining to see her mad, even if it'll probably get me killed at some point."

"Entertaining… Kale, may the gods help you and your twisted little mind." he mutters, just loud enough for me to hear him. "Though, she was right about one thing: we're all ready to go. Its best we leave now; if we do, we'll manage to make a good distance before we have to set up camp for the night. I've already got the plans for how camp will be set up. Myra's tent is big enough to hold her and Krysta, so they'll be sharing it." _I somehow doubt she agreed to that easily… and I'm not sure which of the two I'm actually talking about._ "The three of us will be sleeping under the stars, in shifts mind you. I'll take first, you'll take second, and Garrett will take the last."

"Sounds fair enough. Besides, I prefer the hours between midnight and dawn. They always seem the most serene, for some reason." _That and I'll be able to think to myself in peace for a while. _"By the way, when we get to Ylisstol, there's a few things I want to take care of. You see, back near where we met, in this little place called Southtown, I rescued a baby from a group of bandits. Obviously, I couldn't take care of the tyke myself, so I handed him over to Chrom and the Shepherds. Thought I'd pop in and see how the kid's doing, if that's alright with you."

"Won't be a problem in the slightest. In fact, I have a few reasons to head to the castle myself." He catches the questioning look in my eyes, causing him to turn away. "Personal reasons. Very private, personal reasons. Now stop standing around and get moving." He steps out of the doorframe and he immediately brings his palm to his face at what he sees. "Myra, I'm glad you put down the tome, but could you please stop threatening that poor waiter with a knife?" He shoots me an agitated glance, obviously knowing that this was my fault, and runs off to save the poor soul. I follow quickly after him.

It's not everyday you get to see a waiter get attacked by an angry, knife-wielding, albino, fire mage after all.

* * *

So, after managing to drag Myra away from the frightened waiter, and handing out more apologies than Christmas cards, we were off. Well, we meaning everyone minus Inigo. As it turns out, the love-stricken fool took off in the middle of the night. A few of the village girls huffed at the very mention of his name and some decided to tell me what they'd do to him if they ever saw him again, the most disturbing having something to do with a fork… _Hell hath no fury, Inigo… Hope you learn that lesson someday._ Unfortunately, the trip to Ylisstol was proving… boring. We all marched along in silence for the most part, with a few words being exchanged between Marco and Myra, Marco and Garrett, Marco and Krysta, and Marco and I. For some reason, Marco seemed to be the only one willing to talk in our entire group. _Well, one of them hates your guts, one of them shared a painful moment with you, and you treated the last one like a piece of filth. Now, care to guess which is which?_

Even though my self-depreciating subconscious manages to figure out why no one else was talking to _me_, it still didn't explain why the others weren't talking with each other. _Then again, I doubt Krysta trusts Garrett, given he raided her town. And Myra… just kinda hates everyone, doesn't she?_ I let out a sigh as I realize that we are the most mismatched group of mercenaries that I can think of. Apparently, someone heard it, as I feel someone lightly nudge me in the shoulder. Looking over said shoulder, I smile slightly as I see Krysta and slow up a bit, falling into step beside her. "Yes?" I ask, trying to keep my smile.

"I was wondering if we could talk about a few… things." she says, a faint blush coming over her face at the word 'things'.

"Well, I've got nothing better to do, and you're decent company. Fire away, young lady." I say, throwing up my arms theatrically. Not quite sure why I did that; it's mostly a habit I picked up in my high school's drama class, to overact at times, though it does earn a small laugh from her.

"Alright then. Well, first, I want to apologize for yesterday, back at the bandit fort. I can't- I can't believe how stupid I sounded when you asked me to heal you. I can't even begin to tell you how bad I feel about that. I just… froze up, I guess?" She bites her lip slightly and furrows her brow. _Wow, is that look cute on her… Focus brain, focus._ "No, I didn't freeze up; it's more like I just couldn't figure out the proper thing to do. Everything just happened so quickly and I just wasn't ready." She turns to look at me, smiling faintly. "Kinda dumb, huh?"

I shrug slightly. "Not really. I've heard of people cracking under pressure way worse than you did. It was your first outing and you were a bit confused. Could've happened to anyone, you know? Heck, it always could've been worse. Just be glad it wasn't an arrow through the stomach and instead it was a slightly more embarrassing arrow to the foot." I can't help but grin as her smile turns a bit more confident. "Actually, speaking of embarrassing moments… You remember that night we met, right? When I called you-"

"-a pretty girl? I hope you're not going to take that back, otherwise-"

"No, of course not!" I say quickly, putting my hands up defensively as her face darkens considerably and one of her hands balls up in a fist. _What is it with women and violence in this world?_ "It's just I didn't mean to be so forward about it. I'm just a little embarrassed about what I sai- no, how I said- no, when I said it. I mean, we'd just met, right? Saying something like that just doesn't seem right when you first meet, you know?"

She's silent for a moment, causing my stomach to tighten up in about a hundred knots, before finally saying something. "I can understand that. It's a bit like I am, only you're just awkward with words and I'm awkward with… everything else…" she mutters. "But, how about we work together to get over our mutual awkwardness, hmm?" She holds out her hand and gives me a smile. With a smile of my own, I take her hand. The moment I do, I feel something surge through me, almost like I'm on fire. Though, the sensation isn't painful. Instead, it's empowering, as though something has just… awakened inside of me.

"Uh, Krysta… did you just feel anything weird? Just now, when we shook hands?" I ask, a nervous twinge to my voice.

She slowly shakes her head. "No… Wait, I think I did feel something. I'm not quite sure what it was…"

"Hey, lovebirds! Stop gawkin' over each other and get moving!" Garrett yells. We both look at where we're standing, a decent ways away from the others, and a mutual blush strikes both of us. I motion for her to take the lead, following slowly behind her as realization hits me. _Congrats, Kale. You just had your first Support Conversation._

…_wait, if I can have Support Conversations with people, more specifically, females, does that mean…_

…_I'm __**not**__ claiming Inigo, if it's him. Or… no, just Inigo._

* * *

Sneezing twice, Inigo couldn't help but stop and look around the area where he was currently traveling. _Is someone thinking of me? Perhaps one of those lovely girls back at that village?_ A sudden grimace came over his face as he recalled the words of what one of the girls promised to do to him with a fork if he ever showed his face in that town again. "Never mind, Inigo. Let's just go and try to find the others, shall we?" he muttered to himself before starting again on his path.

* * *

The rest of today's journey was odd, to say the least. I started avoiding standing next to Krysta whenever I could, as the same sensation would come over me every single time I came near her. Thankfully, the sun finally began to set over the tops of the trees _(What's with all the forestry around here? I mean, it looks nice but a little variety would be better…) _and we decided to pitch camp for the night. We'd all decided to split up the tasks for setting up camp: Marco was to catch us dinner, Garrett and I were to gather firewood, and Krysta and Myra were left to cook it and pitch their tent.

Guess which one I objected to? And guess who shot a ball of fire at me after she heard my reasons?

"Crazy white-haired witch…" I mutter under my breath as I bend down to grab another good-sized branch. We somehow lucked out; there are fallen and broken branches scattered all throughout the forest, making finding firewood way too easy. _Kinda in the eerie sense too. Hope this isn't a bad sign or anyth- stop trying to jinx it… _"Hey Garrett! What say we take a quick break, eh?" I call out towards where I'd seen Garrett head off to.

There's a quick rumbling of the brush as the man breaks through the foliage, carrying a large bundle of branches under his arm. "Sounds good to me. I doubt Marco's caught dinner yet, so they can wait a while." He kicks at some of the branches on the ground, creating a small clearing, before setting his bundle down on the ground, followed soon by him. "That was some trip up here, huh? Gods, I've heard dead people that are more lively than we are."

"Eh, I'd be careful if I were you, saying stuff like that. Seems the dead _have_ become a bit more lively lately, you know?" I say as I sit down and recline against a tree. "You run in to any of those monsters? The dead-looking guys, I mean."

"Nah, though Marco filled me in on just what they were like. Gods, fighting something like that just sounds terrifying." He lets out a slight shiver and looks down at the ground, a frown forming on his face. "I mean, dead should stay dead, right? Hell, are they even dead? Were they ever human to begin with? Kinda makes you wonder if you would…"

"Recognize them?" I venture as he trails off. He nods his head slightly, a movement that's almost impossible to see. "I doubt it. The ones we fought all had a bit of the same look to each of them. Granted, it was night when we fought them, and I was a little bit distracted with trying not to die to focus on their faces, but I don't remember seeing any of them that looked alike." I can feel some of the tension leave him as I finish speaking, making me feel a bit relieved as well. _Poor guy really needs some help dealing with all of this. He's been killing for years. It's got to have taken a toll on him. Are there shrinks in Ylisse? _"So, Garrett, if you don't mind me asking, what made you start the whole 'banditry' business in the first place?" Guess I'm taking on the role as psychologist. Then again, I planned on studying for a degree in psychology anyway, so I think it'd be best to look at this as practice.

"…You're treadin' on thin ice there, kid." He fixes me with- God, I think I'd rather face the Risen right now than have him be this mad with me! Guess you would develop a good 'scary face' while you're a bandit… "I really don't like the idea of talking about my past, 'specially that part of it. That's my life, my past, got it? Not a single person in the world needs to know about it. Not a one." He's silent for a moment, his intensely frightening gaze, thankfully, leaving his face. "I'll say this at the very least: it wasn't out of greed or nothin' like that. I had my reasons for starting my life, alright? And I'll be damned if they weren't good reasons for doing what I did for so long!"

_Doesn't sound like those reasons lasted though… _"Fair enough." I say, putting up my hands after a tense moment of silence between the two of us. "I won't make you say anything that you don't want to say. If it's out of shame or resentment or just hard times, you've got your reasons for your silence. I promise to respect them." I fold my arms behind my head as I lean back against the tree trunk again.

"… 'ppreciate that…" he mumbles, grabbing a stick from the ground and… Wait, that's not a stick…

"Is that an arrow?!" I practically scream- no, I did scream it- as I shoot up from my sitting place. I snatch it out of his hands and examine it, holding it up slightly to the rapidly dimming light coming from the sun. The thing looks ancient, as if it had been laying here for years. _That can't be right… Its still in one piece, so it must've just been fired. _"But that means…" I suddenly look around our surroundings and grimace as smaller details suddenly pick themselves out of the scenery: a small gash in the bark of a tree, the places where the branches broke being not as jagged as they should be, and the smaller plants looking as though an army has just traveled through here.

"Aw shit…" Garrett says… wait, did he actually just say 'shit'? I mean, I know this is 'reality', though I use that term loosely, given that I'm both here and in my own world, and people are going to use more vulgar words, but hearing it from someone in this world just seems… shocking. _Well… this is a thing._ "Look at how ancient that arrow looks! It came from one of those things, didn't it?" he asks, his hands wrapped firmly around the handle of his axe, though his legs almost look like- no, they are, indeed, shaking. _Can't blame him though. The Risen are pretty damn terrifying._

"I'm not sure, but look around us. It looks like an army's just been through here." An army of Risen… I can already feel the dread coming from myself at the thought of having to face them. "Come on, let's head back to camp. Marco and the others have to-"

"Who's there? Are you friend or foe?" A voice calls out from inside of the brush that still stands. From the pitch and tone, I can tell it's a girl, though in this world, she could be as dangerous as any guy. Garrett and I both have our weapons at the ready as the still-standing brush begins to shake. "Oh thank Naga; other people." The voices owner finally comes into view and- damn, do all the women in this world have to look so nice? I can't exactly gauge her age, though I've lived around women long enough to know that you _never_ try and ask them for their age, but I'd say she was in her early twenties at the least. She has a streak of pink going through her black hair, covering her left eye slightly, and her hair itself is cut somewhat short, reaching just past her ears. Her eyes are a bright green and seem to be full of energy. She has a black cloak with pink trim on, similar to the one Anna wears, though it covers more of the black bodysuit that she's wearing than Anna's does. _Wait, black cloak, black bodysuit… Is she a thief?_ "Nice to see some other people. I about thought I'd bought it after I ran from that mansion back there. Nasty creatures just started swarming the place… and it had to be when I was about to make the big heist, too…" _Yep, she's a thief. Wonderful._

"Who the heck are you?" Garrett asks, his voice slightly less on-edge and I notice that he's lowered his weapon slightly. "And what's this about a mansion and… a big heist?"

She gasps in shock, her eyes flying open wide and her hand covering her mouth as she backs away slightly. "Are you saying you've never heard of me? The greatest of female thieves, the Great Genevieve? I, who have pioneered several of the greatest heists in the combined histories of Plegia, Ylisse, _and_ Regna Ferox, have not been heard of before?"

Garrett and I both share a look, the same thought going through are heads, I'm sure. _Is she serious?_ "Sorry, but we've never heard of you." I finally say, shaking my head slightly. "But it's a pleasure to- what are you doing?" I have to stop mid-sentence, confusion running rampant through my head, as she sinks to her knees and actually starts bawling out loud, tears streaming down her face. _…seriously? Is this… Seriously? _"Um, did I say something wrong?"

"N-no. Not at all. Y-you've just crushed a young girl's dreams, you foul brute!" she manages to stammer out in between her sobs. "Y-you cad, you couldn't have just played along? Perhaps indulge me a little?"

_Am I cursed to make every single female in the world upset at me!? Why does the universe just… FUUUUU- _"Wait, stop crying, please!" I sheathe my sword and walk over to her, kneeling down slightly and putting my hands on her shoulders. "I-I honestly- I mean, we didn't mean to upset you. I promise you, we did not mean to make you cry like this. We just honestly hadn't heard of you be-" I'm interrupted as her crying suddenly increases in volume and I stumble backwards, falling right on my rear at the surprise of just how loud she is. _I should really just stop trying to talk to girls; its never going to end well for me._

_*Thunk*_

The sound of an arrow piercing through the bark of the tree, right next to my head I might add, snaps her out of her crying fit. "Oh, not again! These beasts… I thought the good knight from before had- no, he couldn't have…" Her eyes suddenly light up in anger as she draws her sword from the scabbard in her cloak, wielding it underhanded. "I cannot allow a kindness to go unpaid! Prepare yourself, you monstrosities! Thievery is not my only forte!" She takes a few steps forwards-

Only to jump backwards as a familiar figure carrying a sword steps out of the brush, a Risen impaled on said sword, though it slowly begins to disappear as Marco begins to speak. "Kale? Garrett? What are you two doing out here? I thought you would have returned to camp by now." _Right, we had a job to do… _"And who is this? A friend of yours?" _…should probably stop him before he makes her cry again…_

"Well, we were about to until we encountered the Great Genevieve." I say, gesturing with both of my arms at the slightly shaken thief. "I'm sure you've heard of her, right Marco? The master of thieves, the greatest of all female thieves, and someone who has planned out heists in Plegia, Ylisse, and Regna Ferox, the Great Genevieve herself." I give her a faint smile as she turns to look at me, an incredulous look on her face. _Go along with it, I'm throwing you a bone here._ "We were about to return to camp, but when she came along, we couldn't help but ask to spend a few moments to talk with her. Its not every day you get to meet someone famous."

I can tell Marco's at a loss for words, as he's shifting his gaze between me, Garrett, and the she-thief. "Um, right…" he says skeptically. I shoot him a look, practically begging him to go along with what I'm saying. Thankfully, he seems to finally get it. "Oh yes, the Great Genevieve! Forgive me, I thought my ears had deceived me." He gives her a slight nod of his head and smiles. "Of course, someone with you're amount of fame is renown. To think I'd actually be in the presence of such a famed rogue is unbelievable."

"But of course." she says, spinning on a single foot and bowing with a flourish. _Well, aren't we full of ourselves? Maybe you could add a little firework show to go along with this introduction…_ "I can understand why my mere presence could be so befuddling to some. I shall not hold you're slight lapse of insight against you. However, I fear that pleasantries must be withheld for the time being. Please, I must ask for your assistance. A rather large residence that housed my most recent prize has been beset upon by the Risen and I fear for the safety of those that live there."

"Risen?" Marco and Garrett both ask._ Right, we don't know what they're called yet. No ones told us the actual name for them._

"If I had to guess, the recent monsters we've seen wandering the roads." I say, shrugging slightly. "I'm going to assume I'm right, given that you're not saying otherwise." I turn to face Genevieve, who nods once.

"Yes, the monsters that have been plaguing the land of late have been given the title of Risen, given their appearance, I assume. They're absolutely vicious beasts, rampaging and ransacking everything they come across, not leaving a single person alive on their destructive path." She takes a breath before she continues. "As embarrassing as it is for me to admit, I'd been captured in the middle of my heist. Don't ask me how it could have occurred that I, the Great Genevieve, was captured. I am confident it was mere chance that led to my being discovered, but that is not the point. The guards of the mansion were planning on sending me to a prison near the border of Regna Ferox. On the day of my supposed transfer, also known as today, we were attacked by the Risen. They ran out of the forests, en masse, and surrounded the mansion. I managed to escape, through some stroke of luck, but the others… Even if they were planning to let me rot away in a cell in some prison somewhere, I can't sit by and allow someone to die in such a heinous way."

The three of us are silent as we look between each other. By all technicality, we don't have to help her out, but let's face it: we're not monsters. "Very well. We'll assist you on your mission to save those people. First, I recommend we move back to the camp; Myra and Krysta need to be warned of this." Marco says, taking charge of the situation. I'm perfectly fine with it, to be honest. I've always been an absolutely horrible leader and Marco fits the role pretty well. "Now then, with that settled, let's get- Kale, what is wrong with your hand?"

I look down and my heart nearly stops. My right hand's twitching furiously, almost as though I'm having a seizure. I quickly grab it with my left hand and bring it close to my chest. _Shit… How many days has it been? Three? …if it's wearing off… _"Sorry Marco. I'm just a bit nervous, is all. The idea of facing an army of these things is unsettling. I promise you, I'm alright." I manage to say, doing everything in my power to keep my voice from breaking. _This is bad. This is EXTREMELY bad… I'm already a wreck after the bandit fort, but this?_

I can tell Marco and Garrett are worried about me, mainly due to the fact that they keep glancing at each other, but Garrett finally breaks the silence. "If you're sure, then we'd best get movin'. The girls don't know about the Risen; they might be in danger."

"I agree." Marco says quietly. He turns to Genevieve and extends his hand. "If you would do us the honor, we'd be proud to have the Great Genevieve on our side in the upcoming battle. Come back to camp with us so you can rest before the fighting begins."

"My, how kind of you." Genevieve says, giggling slightly. She takes his gauntleted hand in both of hers and shakes it. "It would bring me great pleasure to aid you. And I'm sure having me by your side would bring an even greater joy to your entire camp."

"I'm sure it will." Marco says. I'm surprised he's taking Ms. Ego-Trip so well. Turning to me, he points towards where camp is supposed to be. "Kale, go on ahead and make sure the girls are alright. And make sure you tell them of the Great Genevieve's arrival. I'm sure they will want time to compose themselves before she arrives."

"No problem, boss." I give Genevieve a quick bow before turning around and running off, leaving the three of them in the clearing. _Okay, they're just Risen… They're monsters, bent on destroying everything in the world for Grima. In other words, they ain't human. I think I can handle the-_ "Gah!" I let out a scream, not out of pain or shock or… anything really. I just scream as I fall to my knees, grasping my head as I feel a wave of an emotion I hate to feel wash over me. I bend double as it hits me again, almost making me want to throw up. _Three days… I didn't even think about this happening… Dammit, how could I be so stupid, forgetting about something as important as-_

An angry growl is all it takes to snap me out of my thoughts. Looking up, I see a Risen, a myrmidon from the looks of it, standing over me, its sword raised in the air. It begins to bring it down, with my eyes widening in fear as I realize that there's not enough time for me to try and block it. Instead, I stumble backwards, letting out a loud cry of pain as the tip of the sword cuts down my midsection, tearing open my tunic/shirt and leaving a thin red line behind in its path. _Aaah… that really hurts… Come on, stand up, draw your sword, and fight, you idiot!_ I stagger to my feet, the effects of the sword cutting into me coupled with my prior emotional attack making it almost impossible for me to- shit, incoming! I fall backwards as I, clumsily, avoid the swordsman's attack. Before I can even try to stand, its standing over me, the tip of the sword hovering over my chest. _Well, I guess this is it… Guess I had a good run._ I close my eyes as I ready for the final blow to come, only to reopen them as I hear the Risen let out a groan of pain. Sticking out of its right eye is… a small knife? _Wait, that looks almost like a kunai… Wait, opportunity to not die, take it now!_

With a yell I bring my foot back and smash it into the Risen's knee. There's a loud crack as the bone breaks _(Didn't even know Risen __**had**__ bones… huh…)_, followed by the Risen collapsing to the ground. I roll to the side and get to my feet, drawing my own sword and swinging it through the Risen's head in a single movement. It doesn't even let out a moan of pain before it begins to disappear, leaving the small dagger on the ground. I sheathe my sword and stoop to pick it up, only to stop as I feel a pair of eyes on me.

"That belongs to me."

Looking up, I immediately jump back as I see the source of the voice: a man about my age, if I had to guess, wearing a mask that completely covered his face. The mask itself has a pretty simple design: it's black with gold lines painted into it that helps bring out the finer details. Actually, I take that back: it's a damn impressive design, made to look like a raven while also appearing practical to wear. The man wears a black tunic with a red belt going across his chest, numerous small daggers placed inside small sheathes. On each of his arms, near the bicep, are black bands with a golden insignia on them: a raven, if I had to guess, sitting on a perch. His lower body is covered by dark grey pants with dark brown boots covering his feet. On his hip is a pair of scabbards attached to a red belt. One of the scabbards seems to be older than the other; its blue exterior seems to have faded with time. All in all, the guy's intimidating to look at. As I watch him, my hand on my sword's hilt, he stoops down to grab the small dagger and places it back on the belt on his chest. "Get moving. The other two may be in danger." With that, he turns away and walks off, leaving me confused as to whether I should try and stop him.

All it takes for me to make up my mind is a sudden scream piercing the air. I'm moving before I can even think about what I'm going to do, my sword already in my hand. "Myra! Krysta! Hold on, I'm coming!" I shout as I burst through the- shit, fire! I have to fall to the ground to avoid being roasted by one of Myra's fireballs. "What the hell?! Watch where you're aiming that thing!" I shout as I stand up, taking in the situation. I think we lucked out: it's a small horde of them, maybe only ten or twelve in all, most of them carrying either swords or axes. Myra and Krysta are standing in the center of the camp, Myra shielding Krysta while she fires off spells at each of the approaching Risen. I lock eyes with the two of them for a moment before I take off, running past them and towards where two fighters are stalking around. _Remember, they're monsters, not humans. No hesitation!_ I duck under one of their attacks and plunge my blade into my attackers chest, kicking him away and into his fellow Risen. Before either of them can stand, I run over to them and stab down, directly into their heads. _Two down…_ I look up just in time to see Myra blasting two more of them with fireballs. _Four…_ I run over to stand next to the two of them, readying myself for battle, when something surprising happens.

The Risen back off. They actually turn away and run into the woods, leaving the three of us dumbfounded at what just happened. "You two alright?" I ask them. They both nod, clearly unable to speak after what they just saw. "Good, because we've got work to do. Marco and Garrett are heading this way, with a new face. There's a mansion under attack by these things, apparently they're called Risen, and we're playing heroes for today."

"Better than letting innocents die because we did nothing, right?" Krysta says, finally managing to find her voice. "So, who's this new face?"

"Oh, right. Her name's Genevieve (at the mention that it's a she, I notice Myra's mouth turn down into a frown) and she's… a bit flamboyant… to say the least. Just call her the Great Genevieve and everything should be fine." I see Myra mouthing the words 'Great Genevieve' as she tries to suppress a laugh. Before she can say anything, said Great Genevieve steps through the brush and into the camp, with an exasperated-looking Marco and Garrett following behind her.

Seeing the two girls, Genevieve smiles and bounces- no, she seriously _bounces_- over to the two of them. "Ah, so you must be Myra and Krysta. Those two gentlemen told me about you. I must say, it is a pleasure to meet you, and I'm sure that it's quite the pleasure to be meeting me, but I'm afraid the pleasantries must wait. We have a job to do." She turns to Marco, who looks like he's digging around in Garrett's bag for something. "Right, boss?"

_Boss?! Is she seriously going to- my mind can't handle so much ego! _"Erm, right Genevieve." Marco says, abandoning his search for whatever it had been inside of Garrett's bag that he needed. If I had to guess, it was probably booze… Something tells me you'd need plenty of it to deal with Genevieve… "Alright, listen up. We're going to be in for a serious fight tonight but its something we have to do. There's a mansion just past the forest, I suppose it belongs to a minor noble, not that that matters, that's under siege by the Risen, those monsters that we've encountered. Genevieve has told me of their number; it's a lot of them, but there was a full battalion of guards staying there, so its possible they've been thinned out by them. Kale, Garrett, and myself will go through the front and try to make our way to any survivors. Myra, Krysta: Genevieve informed me of an entrance that she used once prior to get inside. The three of you will enter from that way and try to assist any wounded. This won't be an easy battle, but I'm confident that we can get through it. Are there any questions?"

Everyone's silent for a moment before Myra, of all people, breaks the silence with a question that I'd never thought I'd hear her ask. "Will Kale be alright, all things considered?"

Marco looks hesitant to speak, so I speak for him. "These things are monsters, not humans. They might look like they're human, heck, they may have even been human at one point, but anything that does what they do _can't _be considered human." I let out a sigh before I continue on. "I won't lie and say I'm looking forwards to the battle, but if its to save innocent people, I'll do it."

There's another heavy silence after I finish speaking. Finally, Marco speaks up. "I'm glad to hear you say that, truly I am. However, Genevieve told Garrett and I something disturbing. Before she escaped the mansion, she saw something… It was a man…

And he was commanding the Risen."

* * *

**_*And the plot thickens!_**

**_...and this chapter took WAY too long for me to write. Seriously, I apologize for how long this took. I'm not sure if its a good thing or a bad thing that I'm aiming to get these chapters out once a week. If you have any opinion on this, please leave it in a review. I'm always up for a bit of constructive criticism here and there._**

**_Which actually brings me to another thing I'd like to bring up: criticism. I know this might sound odd, but any criticisms you can give me, big or small, would be really helpful. If you have any thoughts on this story but you're afraid of speaking up, don't be or just send me a PM. Seriously, constructive criticism is appreciated. Just make sure it is constructive._**

**_One final note before I end this off. I said earlier I was considering OC's. Well, I still am. I'm not sure how many I'd be willing to accept, as I still have characters of my own that will come in later, but I do think I'd be able to accept a few at the very least. Note that I'm saying OC. NOT SELF-INSERTIONS. Just want to make that clear. If and when I do decide to start including OC's, I'll make sure to let all of you know._**

**_So, without any further ado, I hope you've enjoyed reading this and if so, great and if not, alright. Thank you for reading this and have a nice day.*_**

**_Wait, one last thing: I don't hate Inigo. I just feel like I'd be the person to give him a hard time. Don't worry though; someone else is coming up that I plan on giving a much harder time. Who is it? Well... *laughs evilly* ...you'll have to wait and see._**


	7. Chapter 7: Breakdown

**I do not own Fire Emblem, only my own Original Characters...  
Do I seriously have to write this in all of my chapters or something?**

* * *

**Chapter 7: Breakdown**

It felt like someone had just punched me in the stomach. A human, like me or Marco or Myra, commanding the Risen like they would any other army. Only this wasn't any army: it was an army of the dead, of monsters that had no conscience, no soul. "A-are you sure?" I manage to say, my voice suddenly hoarse and dry. "A-a h-human? Commanding the Risen?" I turn to Genevieve who only nods grimly.

"I fear that my eyes have not deceived me. Indeed, it was a man in dark robes, commanding the monsters with a wave of his hand. He gave them a single order and they obeyed. It was an awful spectacle to behold."

"If it's only one man, then the chances of you having to engage him are very slim." Marco says, making me shift my attention back to him. "I'm sure that you would be… hesitant to fight another person in your current condition. It may be for the best if you stay behind Garrett and I, so that the chances of-"

"That's fine with me." I say quickly, cutting him off. I don't want to dwell on this subject and from what it sounds like, we might not have time to waste if there are so many Risen. _I can handle the Risen, but a human… Is it Validar? Is he making a move early? …Wait, since I don't think Chrom and the Shepherds have returned from Regna Ferox yet, this wouldn't be considered an early move, would it? But it… it just doesn't make sense to me; Validar didn't start showing his ability to 'control' Risen until late in the story, so… It could be- no, I doubt it's Aversa, she'll be busy in Plegia, helping Gangrel plan the downfall of Ylisse… Plus, Genevieve said it had been a man. That rules out Grima at the very least. _I shake my head, trying to regain my focus, ignoring a slight twinge of pain in my side from… something. "Alright, so if we're all ready, we should-"

I'm interrupted as Krysta suddenly grabs my arm and spins me around. "Kale, why didn't you say you were injured?" she asks, pointing to- wait, when did I get that cut? …Oh right, myrmidon in the forest… How bad did I just space out to forget I was hurt!? That's… really bad if I'm starting to forget about important details like that. My stomach starts to churn slightly as I look at the bleeding red line on my torso. _A-are you serious? I completely forgot about that! What if it were a more serious wound? I-I would be…_ "… can't believe this… Here, let me- Kale?!" I hear Krysta scream, though I don't realize why until- how long have I been spacing out? And why am I on my hands and knee–okay, dumb question. I know exactly why. _Great, some of the more 'fun' side effects of not having taken my medicine for the past few days… Spacing out, and I guess you could call this a… well, I fell down. Not really sure what I should call it. Muscle weakness? _I'm snapped out of my thoughts by someone roughly shaking my shoulders, and when I look up, I see an extremely concerned looking Marco looking at me.

"…is wrong? Kale, are you alright? What just happened to you?"

"N-n-nothing…" I manage to say, shakily rising to my feet. Great, my legs feel like they're about to give way any second. "I-I swear, I'm fine. Ju-just pre-battle jitters, I promise y-"

_*THWACK*_

Two things run through my mind as my head snaps to the side. One: _HOLY MOTHER OF EVERYTHING, THAT HURT LIKE HELL… AND I THINK HE JUST BROKE A TOOTH!_ And two: Marco just punched me. Just outright slammed his fist into the side of my face. "That's what you get for lying to us, dammit." he says, his voice harsh, though it's not cold. I can hear some of the concern hidden behind his tone. "You're horrible at hiding things from us. Kale, I saw how badly your hand twitched. That isn't something that's natural. Now we have you ignoring your injuries, losing focus and collapsing to the ground. Do you really expect us to believe that you're perfectly fine? This isn't a game, this is life and death! If you have something that's wrong with you, then you need to tell us!"

"Like hell I do!" I snap back, a rage coursing through my body. "I said I'd only want your help if I asked for it! Do you see me asking for it right now?" I don't even know why I'm an- well, alright, I do, but it's complicated. I don't have any reason to be angry at Marco, or anyone for that matter, but I just feel so _angry_. "I don't need your damned help and I sure as hell don't plan on asking for it anytime soon, so get over it." I start walking past Marco, only for him to grab my arm, spin me around and- SONOFAWHYDOESITHURTSOMUCH!Clutching my jaw, I stand up and stare Marco dead in the eye. "…I'm leaving." I manage to say, though my jaw lights up like fire when I try to move it. I don't even know why I'm saying this- well, I do, but I don't mean to say them. When the pain in my jaw starts to fade away, I start speaking again. "After I help you and the others save that mansion or whatever it is, I'm leaving. I'm going to go my own way and if you or your sister tries to stop me, then I'll tell everyone I can about your 'little secret'." I can barely believe what I've just said, and from Marco's expression, neither can he. _What. Did. I. Just. Say? …AM I TRYING TO GET MYSELF KILLED HERE?! Brain, why are you failing me!? _Before I can read their expressions, I turn away from the group and start heading through the woods. "It's this way, right? Let's get going." I say before heading through the trees, a weight on my chest. I hear someone, maybe Krysta, call for me to come back, but I just ignore them. _What am I doing… Why am I doing this? They haven't done anything wrong to me but… It's just- nothing makes- why can't I…_ I can feel the anger beginning to wash over me, though this time, I know why the anger's there. "It's all the damn medicine's fault!" I shout to the sky.

Those stupid pills… The only things keeping my mind together…

Two years ago, I was diagnosed with a severe anxiety disorder. How severe was it? Well, how bad do you classify an anxiety disorder where you can be drinking a glass of water, have it go down the wrong pipe, and for the next day, you're terrified that you'll die because you have water in your lungs? The doctor that I went to practically said I'd had the worst case of it that he'd ever seen. What brought it on? Who knows? The doctor said it may be genetic, that I might have just had a predisposition to it. Maybe it was the stress that just kept building up inside me, day after day, week after week, _year_ after_ year_, for the majority of my life. I'd had few friends for several years, and had made quite a few unintentio- no, I can't quite say that. Whenever I'd made an enemy, I knew it was my fault. There was a period of my life where I pretty much just decided I hated everyone. It didn't last long, but it left its mark; people started treating me like a diseased animal, avoiding me at all costs. It didn't matter how much I'd apologized, either; the damage was done and there was no going back after that. I could never really forgive myself for that, or anything that I'd ever done. I guess maybe all the stress of it just built up inside me until, well, I snapped.

And so came the medicine, both a blessing and a curse. Sure, it helped me get over my anxiety, I mean I could drink water like a pro after taking it, but there's one thing that the doctors never seem to tell you about meds like that: what happens if you stop taking them. I found out the hard way about a year ago, when I ran out on a holiday weekend. I… I can't even begin to describe the Hell it was. My emotions were out of control; I'd be terrified, angry, and sad all at the same time. My head felt like it was going to split open and my entire body would just start trembling at times. Things would come out of my mouth without me meaning to say them and it almost felt like my body was on autopilot, like what I was thinking and what I was doing was completely different. It… it was horrible, and it still is. I can't go a few days without my medicine now. The longest I've ever been was four days and after that, I'm in a living nightmare.

I'm on day three and about to be going into a fight against a horde of undead warriors bent on destroying mankind, led by a mysterious individual who I know nothing about.

I think I might be in trouble.

* * *

In hindsight, I probably should have stayed with the others. Even with my emotions currently going haywire, they at least had a better idea of where to go than I did. Luckily, it wasn't too hard to find where the mansion was after a few minutes of stumbling around like a drunken idiot.

I just had to listen for the screams.

From where I'm sitting at the edge of the forest right now, I can feel my anxiety going berserk, every single fiber of my existence telling me to 'GTFO NOW!' "How can there be so many…" I whisper to myself as I look across the field to the churning mass of bodies that is the Risen horde. Horde is the only word that I can use to properly describe them; I can't even tell where one's arm is from the others. They're all standing in front of this large mansion, swarming over a group of knights and cavaliers that must be the guards. I cringe as I see one cavalier, a young man who's probably only a few years older than me, get run through by a Risen knight, the monster holding his prey in the air by the tip of his spear. _So young and now… God, that could be- that might just be me! Me… dead…_

The sound of twigs breaking behind me snaps me to alert mode, my hand flying towards the hilt of my sword, though I can still feel my hand trembling slightly. I relax, or at least as much as I can, given my current state, when I see Marco beneath the shade of the trees, the others right behind him. "Kale, it's about time we fou- gods, are those the Risen?!" I step aside to let him have a better look at the monstrosities. "There are so many of them… Those poor people, they don't stand a chance!"

"Which is why we must go down there, post-haste!" Genevieve chirps, her sword flashing as she draws it from her cloak. "I bid none of those men and women who live there ill-will; even if I did, I would hardly consider allowing them to suffer such a fate as this. Myra, Krysta, if you would, please follow me closely. There's a cellar entrance over there to the side." She points with her free hand towards a side of the mansion that has, thankfully, the least amount of Risen around it. _That's weird… you'd think that the Risen would- _My eyes widen as I realize just _why_ there aren't any Risen around the entrance to the cellar.

"They're already in there!" I shout, quickly shooting to my feet. "Look, the wood for the door's been shattered! Damn it all, they've already made they're way in!" I feel a really weird mixture of emotions wash over me; anxiety, from the disorder, coupled with the anger of knowing that the Risen are endangering innocent people and fear for said innocent people. _Just… a little control, that's all I need. I just need to focus. Ignore the anxiety…_

"Then let's not waste anymore time yappin' and get to slayin' some monsters!" Garrett yells, raising his axe high into the air. "You girls get moving! We'll take the frontlines and send all these bastards to Hell!"

Krysta and Myra both nod, gripping there respective weapons tightly. "Alright, but… just don't die!" Myra says, looking at all three of us. Her eyes stop on me for a split second, making me feel even guiltier. _She's worried about me more than the others and I' m threatening to spill both her and Marco's secret. I think I might deserve death after this one._

"I can't speak for these two, but I'll do my best not to, alright?" I say. I try and give a confident smile, only for it to be washed away as a fresh wave of anxiety hits me, causing me to shudder slightly. _Get it together, Kale…_ I turn back to face Garrett and Marco, all three of our faces sharing the same serious look. _Wait, one thing before we move out… _Pulling out my Vulnerary, I pop the cork and take a sip of the foul medicine before speaking, smiling slightly as I feel the wound on my stomach close up. "Well," I start, gesturing towards the chaotic fields with one arm, "ready to die?"

* * *

"Why did I think becoming a soldier would be a good idea!?" a young man cried as he blocked a sword swing with his lance. The monstrous swordsman let out a growl before bringing back its sword-arm to attack again, only for the man's spear to be driven straight through its chest. "I could've worked on the farm or been a smith, but no, I just _had _to be a soldier!" he muttered to himself as he backed away, bumping into the familiar, warm figure behind him. Without turning around, he reached a hand towards his horse's head and began stroking its muzzle, getting a satisfied snort in reply. "It's alright, Ally. I'm not gonna let any of these monsters hurt you."

The young man, a cavalier in brown and grey armor named Albert, and his horse, a brown mare named Alexandria or 'Ally', were standing in front of the staircase in the cellar that led up to the main house of the mansion. His captain had placed him there, probably thinking that Albert wouldn't have to fight many of the Risen down there. _Well, shows what he knows! I'm fighting more of these things every minute._ Still, he couldn't complain too much; it was no secret that he was one of, if not _the_, worst cavalier in the army. When he'd been assigned to guard the house of some noble, he didn't complain whatsoever. It meant free food, a comfy place to rest, and best of all, no fighting. What could be better?

He let out a small sigh as he saw another group of Risen turn the corner and start heading down his hallway, slowly filing their way towards him. "'Guess it could be worse. It's pretty easy to guard this little stretch of hallway; those monsters just come at me on-" He let out the girliest shriek that any man should be able to muster and almost dropping his lance from shock as a ball of fire slammed into the rear of the column of Risen that were heading his way, incinerating two of them and knocking the others against the walls. "What in tarnation?!" he yelled, slipping back into his country accent for a moment. _Was that magic!? But we don't have any mag-_

"Very nice, Myra. Now, let me show my own forté." There was a blur of pink and black as someone shot down the hallway, a faint glint of steel shining from the light of the torches in the hallways. "Quick as lightning, furious as fire: the Great Genevieve has arrived!" the blur said as she stopped in front of a very confused Albert.

"Well, that's nice to know and all, but…" he pointed down the hallway, where each of the Risen that had been knocked down were slowly standing back up. "I don't think you managed to hit any of them…" Sighing, he took a step forward, standing next to her and brandishing his spear. His jaw nearly hit the floor as he caught a glimpse of her face from the corner of his eye. "Wait a sec, you're that pri-"

"The brave knight!" Genevieve cried, throwing her arms around him a large embrace. "Thank goodness you are unharmed. After the Risen followed me, I had feared the worst, given the promise you'd made before I'd escaped. Which, I might add, I greatly apologize for." She took a step back and bowed slightly.

"Genevieve, stop acting like an idiot for a minute and actually prepare to fight!" Myra shouted from down the hallway, a ball of fire forming in her palm as the Risen began advancing towards her and Krysta. "You and you're friend can catch up later! Krysta, you stay behind me, alright?"

Scratching the back of her head and chuckling nervously, Genevieve turned back towards the Risen. "Um, of course. Right, onwards to battle and victory!" She brandished her sword, preparing to charge into battle, before stopping and turning to look at Albert again. "Again, I greatly apologize for escaping when I did. Hopefully this will be of recompense?" With that, she ran down the hall, slashing at the Risen.

Albert blinked twice, trying to process what had just happened. "Uh, sure. But, didn't I let you go?" he asked, his voice lost over the sounds of weapons clashing and magic being cast._ Oh well… Might as well fight… Naga, give me strength!_ Tightening his grip on his lance he gave out a small battle cry before charging.

* * *

_Shitshitshitshitshit!_ I have to roll out of the way to avoid being skewered by the lance of a Risen knight, the same one who'd killed the young man earlier. I don't know why I thought it'd be a good idea to challenge something with armor this thick, but now I know better. I'd tried to aim for one of the gaps in its armor, only for my arm to twitch at the last moment and completely redirect my attack. I'd stumbled backwards from the shock of the blow, landing on the ground and in my current predica- whoa, dodge! _Man, this thing just won't let up!_

"Kale!" I hear Marco shout. A moment later, the Risen knight's dropped its weapon and its arm. I quickly shoot up from the ground, still shaking slightly, before moving next to Marco. A ring of Risen has formed around us, their eyes blank except for a single emotion: pure malice. "Are you alright?" he asks me, his back to mine.

"More or less, though I think my pride might be wounded." I try to joke, though my voice is flat and humorless. _We're going to be cutting our way out of this one. _I block the swing of an axe with my sword before cutting down my attacker, only for his spot in the ring to be filled immediately. _Or maybe not… God, there's too many of them!_ "Marco, I hate to be the downer, but… I'm not liking our-" I'm interrupted by the sound of a horse's whinny, soon followed by parts of Risen flying through the air as someone charges towards us. The sound of an axe cutting through the air is followed by a number of the Risen in front of me crumpling to the ground as the horse and its rider come into view.

I almost mistake the man for Walhart at first, due to the dark red armor he wore, but… well, why would he be _here _instead of in Valm, doing what he does? No, its not a Conqueror that's come to our rescue but a… Great Knight, if I had to wager a guess. He has dark black hair, with gray beginning to show around the edges, though his brown eyes are still full of life and energy. He's riding a white horse wearing dark red armor, similar to his. "Ah, you there: you must be the people my men reported seeing. Quite brave of you to attack such a large force with only the two of you."

"Well sir, there's actually three of us, but our friend seems to be-"

"Take that, you damned freak of nature!" I hear Garrett shout as I see a Risen rise high into the air and crash back down to the ground, knocking its fellow monstrosities to the ground as it lands. There's a loud noise like something being broken, followed by a loud laugh from the ex-bandit. "Hah, that's why you should've stayed dead, you bastard!" _Garrett really enjoys this, doesn't he? I feel like I should be worried._

The Great Knight cranes his head to see over the sea of Risen, an impressed look coming over his face at whatever it is he sees. "I believe I have found your comrade. He certainly has a talent for tearing these beasts apart. Most certainly a useful man to have on the fields of such a battle as this." A sudden grunt makes him shift his attention, and a moment later, a myrmidon falls to the ground, a large gash in its head from where the knight's axe struck. "That reminds me; my name is Rorik. I am the Captain of the Guard for this estate. Would you mind my asking of your names?"

I'm about to answer when a fighter charges from the crowd of Risen. I stab it through the head, my aim slightly off from a twitch of my hand, though it still does the job. "He's Marco and I'm Kale. The guy tearing these monsters apart would be Garrett." I pause for a moment as a thought comes across my mind. "When you say 'tearing them apart,' do you actually mean he's… you know?" _Wait, surely Garrett's not that insa-_

There's the sound of something being torn off followed by Garrett laughing again. Maniacally.

…_He's on my side, right?_

* * *

Meanwhile, down in the cellar, a battle was just finishing up. "And _THAT_," Albert grunted, stabbing the fallen Risen through the head with his lance, "is for just existing!" Panting, he planted his weapon firmly on the ground and leaned against it, using it for support. "Whew… that went better than I'd expected. You ladies have my thanks." He gave the three girls a smile before straightening himself up. "So, might if I ask what you're doing here? Especially you, since I told you to run as far and as fast as you could from this place." He pointed at Genevieve, who held her hand to her mouth in horror.

"And leave a debt unpaid? Never! After all, it is the least I, the Great Genevieve, can do after you sacrificed yourself for me, throwing yourself in front of the horde of ravenous Risen as I escaped, telling me to escape while you would hold them off."

"Did- did you bump your head or something while you were escaping?" Albert asked, his head tilted to the side. "I don't recall _any _of that. I recall Captain Rorik giving me the order to release you when the Risen appeared, and you taking off like Grima itself was after you, but I don't remember-" he stopped suddenly as a jolt of realization hit him. He slammed his palm into his face in frustration. "Aw, Captain Rorik! He's gonna need to know that the cellar's been breached." He chewed on his lip for a moment while he was thinking, trying to figure out the best plan of action. "Hey, would you three ladies mind helping me? Especially you, with the staff? We've got a lot of wounded on the second floor, in the library. There's a couple of healers on staff, but the more we have, the better our chances of surviving this whole mess."

Krysta gave him a firm nod. "Of course. You said the second floor library, right?"

"Yeah, just go up these steps. That'll put you in the kitchen. From there, go out the door to the right and keep going forwards until you reach the main hall. Take the stairs up and head left. The door to the library's the third one down. Just tell whoever's on guard that Albert sent you and they should let you in." Hearing a groan coming from down the hallway, he sent her a nervous glance. "I think it'd be best if you got going. Now." Without another word, Krysta ran off to perform her task, leaving Myra and Genevieve with Albert. "Alright, know I'm going to need you two's help. You with the magic, can you-"

"Myra."

"Huh?"

Myra closed her eyes as she felt the corner of her mouth start pulling upwards in a snarl. "I have a name and it is Myra. Not 'you with the magic.' Am I clear?!" she barked, making Albert jump back and let out a yelp of surprise.

_W-what did I do? I-I just didn't know her name, is all…_ "Right, M-Myra, um… c-can you and your friend here hold the staircase here? I need to report t-to my boss about this whole mess. As soon as I find him, I'll run right back and help you two out." _Please don't yell at me, please don't yell at me, please don't-_

"Alright." Myra said, folding her arms against her chest. "It won't be too hard to deal with these things. Hurry up, hop on your horse, and get a move on, will you?" she snapped again, taking out her tome and flipping open the pages, preparing herself for battle.

"Y-yes ma'am!" Albert said, jumping up onto Alexandria's back… and promptly fell off, right onto his face. _Stupid stirrup… got my foot caught again…_ Groaning in pain, he slowly stood up and turned to look at the two girls, who seemed to be on the verge of laughter. "Y-you didn't see anything!" he cried, quickly, but carefully, mounting his horse and racing up the stairs. The moment he reached the top, he heard Myra and Genevieve start laughing, making his face go red in embarrassment. And from it hitting the floor.

* * *

I let out a deep breath as I stab through the chest of another Risen fighter, quickly removing it to block a slice from a myrmidon. _That's it Kale: deep, calm breaths and a little focus… Don't start getting jumpy… You might not die if you just stay calm… _With Rorik on our side, it actually seems like we might stand a chance of survival; every Risen that comes within range of his axe or Marco and mine's swords goes down quickly. And from the sound of it, Garrett's not doing to bad either. There's only one thing that worries me: they won't stop coming!

"Rorik, do you have any idea where the enemy commander is?" I hear Marco shout, though I can't afford to look back at him. Too many enemies coming at me at the moment, and I still feel the anxiety inside me, waiting to boil over. "We'd heard that a man in black robes was leading these monsters, as crazy is it may sound."

"You're right, that does sound crazy." Rorik says, grunting in annoyance as a knight blocks the swing of his axe with its shield, though he quickly finishes the monster by having his horse rear back and bring its front hooves down on it. There's the sound of crunching metal before the Risen disappears into red and black mist. "However, I've seen the man for myself, so who am I to call anyone else mad? The last I saw of him, he was in the center of the Risen, simply standing there. Just that sight… It was so oddly disturbing, for some strange reason…"

_Probably has something to do with the guy leading these monsters…_ "Well, how about we take the fight to him? If he goes down, the Risen lose their commander and, hopefully, their will to-" Damn it, another myrmidon in my face. One slash later, and he's down. "As I was saying, the Risen might stop fighting if he goes down."

Rorik's silent for a moment, then he speaks up. "That sounds like the best course of action. I have no other ideas, nor do I know if it will even work, but it is better than wasting our energy with this endless sea of beasts. However, first, we must regroup. Let us head back to the front entrance." Pulling back on the reigns of his mount, he suddenly charges forwards, the Risen in front of him crumbling to the ground as he becomes a living battering ram. Marco and I both share a glance before running after him, being careful not to trip over any of the fallen Risen. As we run, I hear someone pull up next to us. Looking back, I see Garrett, smiling despite the numerous small cuts that line his arms and part of his torso, and a particularly nasty gash on his forehead, just above his right eye. _Krysta's going to have her work cut out for her if he keeps this up._

After a few minutes of running, we finally make it to the front entrance; two massive wooden doors with ornate, gold trimming running across the surface. They look absolutely beautiful, as does the rest of the mansion, now that I think about it. I'm so lost in my thoughts that I nearly bump into Rorik and his horse, who have simply stopped in front of the entrance. I'm about to ask why when I see the answer. It's them: the person responsible for this attack.

The good news? It isn't Validar or Aversa or Grima…

The bad news is that the person leading the Risen is standing in the middle of a sea of bodies, the corpses of dozens of knights and cavaliers who fought to protect this mansion from him. When I first see him, all I can see are the black and purple robes that he wears, though he quickly turns around as he- oh- oh God, help us…

I can't explain it, but something about this man fills me with terror. Maybe it's the fact that he wears a solid black mask with the Mark of Grima emblazoned in red on it. Even though they're simply for decoration, it almost feels as though each of the Fell Dragon's eyes are staring directly at me. Without saying a word, he pulls out a tome, black with a red, swirling vortex on the cover, and opens it. I tense up as he holds out his hand, a red orb forming in his palm. Then he throws it, not at us, but at the ground, creating a flash of light that nearly blinds me. When my vision returns, I feel my blood run colder than it already was as I see the massive figure standing next to him. It's a knight (Medieval style), clad entirely in black, purple, and red armor, the helmet with a row of five spikes circling the top of it, the Mark of Grima emblazoned on its chestplate, pauldrons leading up into sharp points, and a massive black sword edged purple in its hand. He stands heads over all of us, easily making him eight, maybe nine or even ten feet tall! Wordlessly, the masked mage extends his free hand towards us. It doesn't take me a moment to understand what's about to happen.

"MOVE!" I shout as the knight charges at us, the sword in its hand glowing around the edges. I roll to the side as the blade plunges into the ground. As I get to my feet, I realize something disturbing: the Risen have formed a sort of semi-circle around us, preventing us from escaping, though they don't make any movement towards us. _He's commanded them not to attack… Just who is this guy?!_ I turn to look at the mage, who is currently- "Hey, get back here!" I shout as I see him heading towards the doors. I start running after hi- HOLY HI THERE, MISTER KNIGHT! I jump out of the way of another of the knight's attacks. "Rorik, the commander, he's-"

"He's not going anywhere. Those doors are made from the sturdiest wood and are locked from the inside. There's no way he can-"

"Captain Rorik!" someone shouts as… the… doors open… _…fuck. _A young man in brown and gray armor on a horse charges through the doors, which have been opened by a pair of knight's (Fire Emblem knight's). Immediately the mage springs into action, dashing towards one of the knights and planting his fist firmly in his- wait, he just punched him? How is that going to- ARE THOSE CLAWS!?

As the mage withdraws his fist from the knight's chest, I see a glimpse of three black, metal blades extending from his forearms. As the knight falls, clutching the fatal chest wound, he grabs the mage's robes and rips them off, revealing the black armor he wore beneath them. Sure enough, a pair of gauntlets rest on his arms, a set of three claws jutting from each of them. _So he's got magic that can summon a giant knight and claws that can cut through armor… We're screwed._

"Albert, you idiot!" Rorik yells, steering his horse towards the young man who freezes in fear as the mage turns his attention to him, holding up one of his clawed gauntlets as he starts moving towards him, slowly at first and then at blinding speed. Luckily for the young man, who I'm guessing is named Albert, Rorik's there to protect him. Unluckily for Rorik, the claws struck his horse directly in its side, throwing him off and to the ground, hard. The mage regards what his claws have impaled with what seems like disappointment before tearing them out and- God, that poor horse… The mage begins to hack away at the horse, his claws cutting directly through the armor, into the flesh, possibly even the muscle or bone. The animal's cries of pain are enough to break my heart, though from Rorik's expression, it's his heart that's breaking. "Mercutio!" he yells, picking himself off of the ground and brandishing his axe, hatred in his eyes. The mage finally ceases his assault, looking towards the enraged knight as the horse collapses to the ground, mercifully dead. "Bastard! I will tear your head from your shoulders for what you have done!" he screams as he charges towards the mage. In response, the mage lets out a raspy noise that I can only assume is a laugh before running through the open doors. As he clears them, he holds out his hand, causing a flash of light to shoot out. The doors slam shut just as Rorik reaches them. He angrily slams his fist into the door as tears run down his face, and I can quietly hear him muttering his horse's name beneath his breath.

Albert seems shocked at what he's just seen, his eyes wide and his jaw hanging open. "C-Captain… I-I didn't…"

"Silence, you damn fool!" Rorik snaps, causing everyone to jump. He spins around, facing us. "Albert… Albert… How is it that you always manage to cause so much trouble?! If it weren't for you, he wouldn't have been able to… to get… get inside…"

"The others!" Rorik, Albert, Marco, Garrett, and I all exclaim at the same time. Albert looks at the three of us, cocking an eyebrow in confusion. "Now hold on; how do you know about the injured? Unless… Wait, are you guys friends with those three girls, Krysta, Genevieve, and… um… damn, what was her nam-"

"Myra!" Marco shouts. "Her name is Myra and she's my sister! Tell me, have you seen her?"

Albert nearly falls off of his horse at how loud Marco is, but he manages to keep his composure. "Uh, yeah, down in the cellar. They stayed there while I came up here to tell the Captain that the cellar's been-" He stops mid-sentence, his mouth hanging open wide. "Oh no… that girl with the staff, Krysta… She went up to the library, where we were keeping the wounded. If that guy's going inside, then-" He doesn't even have time to finish as a sudden scream rings out from inside the mansion. Without skipping a beat, we take off towards where the cellar entrance is, only to be blocked by the DAMNED KNIGHT! _Completely forgot about him… Shit, he's not going to let us through, not without a-_

"Get going!" a sudden voice echoes out from behind us. Turning around, I see the man with the raven mask cutting his way through the Risen, a shining, silver sword in his hand. "I'll hold him off! You have to save your friends!" he shouts, a strange sense of urgency behind his words. Before the knight can react, he pulls out three of the small knives from his belt and throws them at the knight. All three hit with surprising force, knocking back the armored threat just enough for us to run by him. As we begin to turn the corner to head down into the cellar, I take one last look back at the mysterious man, who has just begun to lock blades with the knight. The two of them seem surprisingly well matched, despite the size difference. Confident that he'll survive, I run off to catch up with the others.

* * *

We found Myra and Genevieve by the stairs leading up to the kitchen. They didn't even bother asking what was so urgent: the looks on our faces was more than enough to tell them that something was wrong and they must have heard the scream. As we burst through the doors into the main hallway, we all stop at the sight we are greeted with and… well, I'm glad I didn't eat much of a lunch.

Blood. That's the only thing that I can say about the main hall. What I'm assuming was once a beautiful entrance to this mansion is know a scene from a nightmare. Bodies of men and women are strewn about the floor, some of them still moving, others already gone. "What has he done…?" I whisper to myself before walking past the others, careful not to slip in the blood, as I see something on the wall above the staircase that makes my heart race in fear and terror. It's Grima's Mark, drawn out in the blood of the victims. Sitting under it, on his knees and with his arms spread out wide, is the mage, looking up at the Mark with a sickening reverence. That's when it hits me: this is all a sacrifice, a memorial to the Fell Dragon. This monster of a human massacred all of these people just to worship his master.

A sudden movement to my right catches my eye and I swear, my heart nearly stops at the sight: it's Krysta, her face pale and a large cut running down her chest, blood staining her white robes. I race over to her, falling to my knees and sliding through the blood, as I take my Vulnerary from my bag. _Please God… please, let this work!_ Cradling her head in my arm, I hold the bottle up to her lip. "Krysta, drink this, please!" I whisper to her frantically. _Please, don't let me be too late… I don't want to lose anyone, not like this!_ Slowly, she begins to drink it. I close my eyes and offer up a silent prayer as I hear someone walk up behind me.

"Kale, I-I think she'll live…" I hear Marco say. Opening my eyes, I see that he's right: the cut on her chest is closing rapidly and a bit of color is coming back to her face. "I saw the cut: it didn't look too deep. I'm sure she'll survive but-"

"I'm going to kill him." I say, my voice harsh and cold. I slowly lower Krysta's head to the ground as I feel my body start to shake in anger. "All of this… and for WHAT!?" Screaming, I stand up and turn to face the mage. "YOU BASTARD! IS THIS A GAME TO YOU?! YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS!" With that, I charge forward, brandishing my blade. The mage stands up and turns to face me, fixing me with his six-eyed stare before rushing towards me. As we're about to meet, I swing my sword, aiming for his head. _One slice, right to the neck; it'll be an instant kill!_ I smile as my blade comes closer to his neck, my anger fueling my attack-

-and then he catches it. Holding up one of his arms, he catches it between two of the blades on his gauntlet. He stares at me for a moment, as if trying to understand just what I am, before breaking by sword with a flick of his wrist. The blade shatters into pieces before my very eyes. I'm so stunned I don't even see the other claw being reared back, ready to end my life, until I'm tackled out of the way by a red figure. There's a cry of pain, snapping me out of my daze. "Rorik…" I whisper. He just took a blow meant for me, all because I… I was afraid…

Afraid of death. And what lies beyond it.

I've been raised a Christian. I know there is a Heaven and a Hell. I won't lie and say I'm the world's most perfect person. I doubt I'd ever be able to count up my sins, to be honest. That was where a lot of my anxiety came from: not from fear of death, but whether I'd be going to Hell because of my sins. Killing is one of the worst sins. I've _killed_ since coming here. Other people's _blood_ is on my hands. And now, so is Rorik's.

I barely register the other's screaming as the mage tears out Rorik's heart before his very eyes, crushing the vital organ in his hand as the Great Knight sinks to his knees. Before he even hits the ground, I'm back on my feet, clutching my broken blade as I run. Not towards death, but away from it. I'm afraid of what will happen if I die here, where I'll go, what will happen to me. My anxiety, my fear has completely overwhelmed me, tears streaming down my face. I can hear screams, my own screams, as I run out the door, like the coward I am, leaving behind my friends and allies. I run past the mysterious man who's still dueling the knight, past the horde of Risen, past all of it until I can't run anymore. I collapse to the ground, panting heavily, and stab my broken blade into the ground. I clutch my head and let out another scream, an angry scream. I'm angry at myself for being a coward, at the mage for what he's done, at Rorik for not just letting me take the blow and letting me die like I deserve.

I don't even realize that someone's behind me until something hits me in the back of the head, silencing my screams.

* * *

_**...Well, that certainly got dark, didn't it?**_

_**So... I've got a bit I'd like to talk about.**_

_**Now, before I start, I honestly don't want to upset anyone with anything that I'm about to say, so please don't get upset.**_

_**First, I'd like to apologize if I might have come off as... arrogant when I talked about taking in OC's from people. I feel like asking for something like that, when I'm so early on in the story, just came off as sounding rude. Maybe you, the readers, didn't see it that way, but in hindsight, I did and I apologize if I might have upset anyone. The reason I'd like to put OC's from other people in this story is, well, because I want to make sure this story is enjoyable for everyone. I didn't mean for what I said in the last chapter to come off as arrogant, but if I did seem kind of like a pompous ass, I apologize.**_

_**Now, for the part where I'm sure I'll come off sounding like a pompous ass. Again, I don't mean to offend anyone with what I'm about to say. However, this honestly feels like I'm stepping into some sort of forbidden territory with what I'm about to ask. Guys... I need reviews. And no, it's not to satisfy my ego or have a massive review counter or anything like that. No, I need reviews because they help keep me motivated to write. To those of you who have been reviewing, I greatly appreciate it. Every time I get a notification for a review, I just feel that much more motivated. Now, I'm not saying I'm going to stop writing this story if I don't get reviews. I'm simply asking if you guys could take the time to maybe, possibly, leave one behind, just to show I haven't bored you to tears or anything. I'm not going to force you: I'm just asking. If I'm upsetting you by asking for this, then PM me or something. I apologize if I do upset you by asking this.**_

_**Regardless, a big thank you to everyone who has been reading this. I hope you all have a nice day.**_


	8. Chapter 8: Picking up the Pieces

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem, only my own original characters.  
By the way, I still haven't gotten an answer as to if I actually DO need this...**

**Chapter 8: Picking up the Pieces**

None of them could believe what they were seeing, that they were standing in the midst of this bloodbath, with a mysterious mage plunging his hand through the chest of a powerful knight, who had managed to save one of their friends only moments ago by taking the fatal blow. They were all rooted in place as the mage cocked his head to the side, as if curious by what Rorik had just done, before ripping the Great Knight's heart out. There had been screams: Genevieve out of horror, Albert, Garrett, and Myra out of anger, and Marco…

Marco screamed out of fear.

Fear for the lives of the people that had fought beside him. This man, this monster, as there was no chance for this creature to be a human, had massacred an entire estate out of reverence for his 'god', the Fell Dragon, Grima. _We… we have to run! We have to take Krysta and get out of here, but… why can't I move?!_ It was as if Marco's legs had been turned to stone. He was rooted to the spot where he stood, forced to watch as the mage crushed Rorik's heart in front of the man's eyes, a dry and heartless chuckle coming from behind the mask.

It was Kale's scream that saved them.

It was piercing, full of terror, and enough to chill a person to the bone. Marco watched in shock as Kale scrambled to his feet, tears running down his face from his wild eyes, and charged out of the mansion, barreling into one of the two massive doors with all of his weight and knocking it open, just enough for him to escape through. "Kale!" Marco shouted, reaching towards where he'd just watched the young man run with his free hand. His other was reaching for his sword, though he stopped as he realized something. "…we can't win this fight…" he muttered to himself. It hurt his pride to admit it, but this… this was a battle that they couldn't win, no matter how hard they would try. Turning to his allies, who were similarly shocked out of their fear by Kale's actions, he began giving orders. "Myra, Genevieve: start running out of here, now! Garrett, grab Krysta and start carrying her! You, Albert, is it? I want you to guard Garrett as he gets Krysta to safety. Head for the cellar! I'll hold him off!" he shouted.

"B-but-" Myra started.

"No buts! Just do as I say, understood!" Marco barked, grabbing the hilt of his sword and pulling it from it's sheathe. "I'll do everything I can to hold him here. Myra, you and the others need to reach Ylisstol. You'll be safe there, I promise you." He quickly placed himself between the others, who were already following his orders, and the mage, who merely regarded him with his strangely curious gaze. Feeling a presence behind him, he turned his head to see Myra still standing where she was, a torn look on her face. "Myra, go! I'm begging you, run from this place! If I can survive this fight, I promise to find you, so go!" he shouted, using a tone of voice that he knew she would obey: it was the same tone their father would use whenever she had done something wrong. It pained him to use it, and it pained him more to see the look on her face, but he had to: he wouldn't risk his sister's life.

"O-okay…"Myra said, tears beginning to form in her eyes. "B-but if you die, I'll never forgive you!" she yelled, before turning away and running towards where the cellar was. Before she went through the door that would lead to the kitchen, she stole one last look at her brother, who was slowly circling around the mage, who stood in the center of the room. "Please, be safe…" she whispered before running through the door, letting it slam shut behind her.

As the sound of the door slamming shut rang through the main hall, it was almost as if the mage had finally become aware of his surroundings. Looking at Marco, he began to take a fighting stance, crouching low to the ground while holding his arms out to the sides. Marco tightened the grip on his blade and shifted his stance, preparing for whatever attack the mage would throw at him.

From the Mark of Grima that the mage had painted on the wall, a single drop of blood fell, hitting the floor.

The battle began.

With a feral cry, the mage leapt towards Marco, slashing furiously with his claws. Marco parried each of the strikes, feeling the strength of the mage as each of the blows resonated through his body. With his own cry, he lunged forward as the mage's claws came down at him, throwing his opponent off balance. Raising his sword above his head, he brought it down to cleave the monster in half, only for the masked man to catch it with both sets of his claws, the edge of Marco's sword only inches from his face. With a growl, the mage fell to his knees and slipped to the ground, turning Marco's size and weight against him as he stumbled forward into the man's shoulder. He was shoved back and barely had enough time to block the flurry of slashes that the man threw at him, his eyes only barely able to keep up with how quickly the man moved. There was a savage grace with which the man attacked, something that Marco was able to respect and fear at the same time. _He's much faster and stronger than he looks… at this rate, I might not be able to-_ "Oof!" he cried as the mage suddenly planted his foot directly into his stomach, knocking him to the ground and his sword from his hands. Before he could even attempt to stand, the man had his claws at his throat, the tip of one of the blades hanging inches from Marco's throat. There was a tense silence in the air as the man stood crouched over Marco, who was awaiting his death at the man's hands. "Well? Are you man enough to actually go through with it or do you expect me to beg for my life?" he asked. The words seemed to affect the mage, as he let out an enraged shriek before bringing back one of his claws and stabbing towards Marco's heart. He closed his eyes as he prepared for the blow to land, one thought on his mind.

_Myra… forgive me…_

* * *

As another group of Risen began to close in on the group, Myra let out a growl as she whirled around on them. "Get away!" she shouted, tears still running down her face as she extended her hand and shot a ball of flame into the group, reducing them to ashes.

"There's just too many of them!" Albert cried as he stabbed his lance through the head of a myrmidon, yanking it out just in time to block a strike from a fighter's axe. "At this rate, we'll never make it out of here!" As he finished saying it, something struck him in the back of the head. Turning around, he saw Genevieve holding a stone in free hand, her other hand holding her sword that was currently being used to keep a Risen knight at bay. "What was that for?!" he asked, rubbing the spot on the back of his head.

"The moment we start accepting defeat…" Genevieve said through gritted teeth as she fought against the strength of the knight. With a shout, she shoved forward, knocking it to the ground. Before it could stand, she was on top of it, plunging her blade through its visor and into its head. "…is the moment we perish. I will not allow any such talk. Am I clear?" she asked as she turned to face another opponent. Her normal cheery tone suddenly had a harsher edge to it, one that made Albert uncomfortable.

"Crystal." Albert gulped before turning his attention back to the Risen. Seeing a pair of them rushing towards Garrett and Krysta, he gripped his lance as he charged towards them on Ally. One of them, a fighter, was trampled under Ally's hooves as the other was impaled on his lance. "Garrett, keep moving!" he shouted over his shoulder at the large man.

"What the hell's it look like I'm doin' here?!" Garrett shouted back. He was carrying someone in his arms and even though Krysta was light, and he'd carried people before, he was, admittedly, pretty banged up. Fighting the Risen earlier had taken its toll on him, as had the injuries he'd sustained. As a swordsman ran towards him, he let out a savage growl before ramming into it, shoulder first, and stomping on its head as it tried to get off of the ground. "Rotten bastard…" he muttered as he looked around. It didn't look good: the Risen were closing in on them from all sides and only the way directly in front of them was clear. "We need to hurry it up! They're starting to-" He was cut off as a large axe planted itself in the ground in front of him. He stumbled back, nearly falling over, and saw that a large Risen, easily his size, was standing in front of their escape route, with a small group of the monsters behind it.

"We're surrounded!" Albert shouted, dread causing his stomach to tie itself in knots. He spun Alexandria around, trying to find some way out of the ring of monsters they were in, but to no avail. What he did see, however, was a knight making its way towards Myra, who was busy fending off a group of Risen in front of her with her Fire magic. "Ah! You, with the mag- no, it's… M-Myra! Myra, look out!" he cried, trying to get her attention. "Behind you! Risen!"

Turning around, Myra's eyes widened in fear as the knight's lance thrust forward. She fell backwards, narrowly avoiding being impaled on the end of the weapon, but now she was defenseless; her tome had fallen to the ground next to her and by the time she could pick it up, she would be dead. She let out a cry of fear as the knight brought its lance back, ready to run her through.

_***CRACK***_

The sky suddenly darkened as a peal of thunder rang out over the sound of fighting as a bolt of lightning suddenly struck down from the skies, hitting the knight and turning it to ash. Myra could barely believe her eyes as she watched more bolts hit the ground and, more importantly, the Risen, destroying them in droves. A sudden flash of light from near the mansion caught her eye and, for a split second, she swore she saw a man cloaked in black holding a glowing blue sword. Suddenly, someone was shaking her shoulder roughly, and as she turned around, she saw Genevieve frantically pulling at her. Risking one last look back at the mansion, she soon stood up, grabbed her tome, and ran after the others, into the forest to safety as more lightning bolts struck the ground, decimating the Risen army.

* * *

The solid wooden doors suddenly exploding into millions of sharp fragments was what saved Marco. Distracted by the sudden mayhem, the mage paused mid-strike, allowing Marco the time to plant his fist directly in the man's stomach, knocking him away from him. Taking the opportunity to grab his weapon, he rolled to his feet as he saw an incredible sight emerging from the dust. The massive knight that they had seen earlier was lying on its back, slowly standing up, as the man with the raven mask slowly walked through the ruined entryway, his form lit up by his sword, which glowed a pale blue.

"Ah, I was hoping to see you again. It's been a long time." The man said, looking at the mage. Holding his blade out in front of him, he took a fighting stance as the mage growled in anger. "Now, shall I send you back to whatever Hell you came from?"

The mage let out another raspy laugh as he prepared himself for battle, completely ignoring Marco and taking his own stance. "I dare you to try." he, surprisingly, replied, his voice as dry as the desert itself. Even with masks covering their faces, one could easily tell there was nothing but pure malice between the two men, shown clearly as they charged each other.

It was the swordsman who made the first move, striking low and aiming for his opponent's legs. Said opponent responded by jumping over the raven-masked warrior, turning around as he touched down onto the ground and slashing at him with his claws, to which the swordsman responded by rolling to the side and charging again, this time aiming to skewer the mage. As the man crossed his claws in an attempt to block, he was knocked back as the swordsman suddenly came to a stop, a surge of energy traveling along the length of his blade firing out in a streak of blue light which struck and sent the target flying back into one of the walls of the hallway. Growling again, the mage struck the ground with one of his fists before standing up, a tome suddenly in his left hand. Extending his right hand, a series of black spikes shot out of the ground, nearly skewering both the swordsman and Marco, who had to dive out of the path of the spell. The swordsman, on the other hand, struck out with his sword, cleaving down as the spikes reached him. When his blade and the spikes met, a surge of power suddenly threw him backwards, though the spikes all shattered from the move. Slowly rising to his feet, the swordsman let out a chuckle as he and his opponent began to circle each other. "Still no slouch, are you?" he asked, holding his blade down and to the side, almost nonchalantly.

"I can see time hasn't slowed you either. Tell me, what do you hope to accomplish here? I can assure, my lord's will shall be done." The mage let out a laugh as he mentioned his lord. "But of course, you would already know this, wouldn't you?"

The swordsman went silent for a moment before speaking up. "I wish it hadn't had to be this way. Things could have turned out so much differently, but this… he would never have wanted you to have turned out this way…" Stopping momentarily, he turned his head to Marco. "You there. Get moving. Your younger sister and her friends have made it to the forest. I will hold this demon at bay." Before Marco could argue, the two men suddenly threw themselves at each other, their respective blades clashing violently as they were both thrown back. "Go!" the swordsman shouted as he saw Marco had not taken his advice. "You will not be offered another chance like this! You aren't capable of defeating this man; surely, you realize this!"

The mage let out another laugh at the swordsman's words, as if he enjoyed knowing how futile anyone's efforts to slay him would be. "He does not jest, this one. If I wished it, you would be lying dead on the ground now. Thank your Naga that _he_ intervened on your behalf. However, I'm afraid that he has forgotten that I am not the only devotee of my lord here." Jumping away from the swordsman, he snapped his fingers as he landed. Immediately, Marco was covered by an immense shadow. Without turning around, he dodged to the side, the knight's blade cutting through the ground where he had stood only moments ago. "Just missed…" he muttered, clearly disappointed by what had occurred. If the knight was disappointed, it didn't show, as it merely strode over to the mage's side and took a stance beside its master.

"Damn. Forgot about him…" the swordsman muttered as he saw the knight and mage stand side-by-side, a tome in the mage's hands. "You've got to be kidding… Dele already, huh? Well, I would certainly advise you to run then. Now." he said simply, not bothering to face Marco. Holding his blade towards the ceiling, energy suddenly began to surge up and down the length of the weapon. At the same time, a sphere of red and black energy began to form above the mage and knight, almost seeming to draw in the air around it. "Well? I can already tell you this won't end well, so why aren't you moving?!" he shouted over the sudden echoing roar that had arrived.

Marco hesitated for only a moment, before realizing that this was the best course of action. "Try and stay alive, so I may repay you someday!" Marco shouted as he ran out the hole that was once the entryway. He paused momentarily as he saw the landscape: the skies had darkened considerably, clouds covering the sun as thunder roared and lightning arced across the sky. A heavy wind blew, sending the cold rain into his face, though that wasn't what surprised him: the earth itself looked as though it had exploded, large craters emerging from the ground all around the mansion. Regaining his focus, he began running again, jumping over the smaller craters that got in his way, though he still could scarcely believe what he was seeing. _Such destruction on such a scale…_ _Did he somehow-_

"_**Dele!**_"

"_**Awaken!**_"

His thoughts, and sprint, were interrupted by what sounded like the roars of two dragons, followed by an explosion that shook the very earth, as though threatening to split it in two. The force of it threw him forwards, where he crashed into a tree. Before he passed out, he could just make out two figures standing in the wreckage of what had once been a mansion.

* * *

"Was I the only one who saw what happened?!" Myra asked the group. After the miracle of lightning striking the same place more than once had occurred, they'd all made it into the forest. They were far in now and had found a small clearing where they could rest. Krysta lay on the ground, unconscious, but otherwise unharmed, with Albert hovering over her, trying to make sure that she was fine. Genevieve had her cloak pulled tightly about her body, trying to stave off the cold rain, while Garrett did his best to start a fire, striking a pair of stones together to produce a spark. "Did no one else see the man holding the glowing blue sword?! Or that he showed up the moment the lightning began to strike?! Am-am I the only person here who's the slightest bit curious?" she questioned, looking incredulous that no one else seemed to have seen the man or was even questioning how they were all still alive.

Sighing in frustration, Garrett didn't bother to look up as he addressed Myra. "Well, what do you want us to say? I mean, I've seen a lot in my time, but a 'glowing, blue sword' and a 'mysterious swordsman?' Myra, I think you might've just been seeing things. I mean, you nearly died, your brother is fighting to protect us, and… Kale's… Kale's…" Swearing in frustration, he threw the two stones down on the ground and kicked at the pile of sticks Albert had managed to gather, causing the young man to wince slightly as he saw his hard work scattered across the ground. "You know what? Instead of asking us about people that don't exist, why don't you make yourself useful and use that magic of yours to start a fire, dammit?! We don't have time to be talking about some 'magical swordsman' who conjured lightning from the sky! So get your ass in gear and-" He flinched when he saw the look on Myra's face and, looking away, silently swore at himself before turning back to look at her. "Look, I'm sorry but… We still don't know if we're in the clear yet. Yeah, Marco will give that bastard back there hell and those lightning strikes might have stopped the Risen, but we don't know that for sure. Right now, we need to make sure we stay safe, so that when you're big brother does come back, he won't kick my ass for letting you and the others get hurt." He smirked as he finished and put his hand on top of her hair, ruffling it slightly. She let out an indignant noise as she pushed him away, running her hands through her hair to try and fix what damage he may have done, causing him to let out a small laugh. "Seriously though: can you maybe start up a fire for us so we all don't freeze to death? The stones don't seem to like me."

Pulling her Fire tome from her robes, Myra looked down at it and frowned. "I wish I could, but… Look." She opened the large book and showed its pages to Garrett, being careful not to let any of the rain fall on it. To the man's surprise, as he leafed through the book, several of the pages were blank, while maybe a dozen or so still had writing on them. "It's almost all used up." she said sadly, causing him to look up in confusion. "Magic isn't something that people can just cast outright: properly preparing a spell can take a long time, much too long for a combat mage. Tomes are made in a way that allows us to use the magic in them. The process in how they're made and just how they work is very complex, but, in essence, they're a quick way for someone to use a spell, only requiring a small incantation to activate the latent magic within the tome. However, each time the spell is used, part of that magic fades." Slowly, she closed her Fire tome and placed it back inside of her robes. "As soon as the last few pages of my Fire tome are gone, I won't be of much use… I want to make sure I can keep it for emergencies."

"Gosh, that's pretty weird if you ask me." Albert said, looking up from Krysta. "I had no idea that magic was so complicated. I always thought you mages just kinda waved your hands and 'poof,' you've got a wall of fire going at whoever you don't like." Seeing the look he was getting from Myra, he quickly gulped and looked away. "W-well, we didn't have many mages back at the academy, and I was training to be cavalry. I never had the chance to learn this kinda stuff… Actually, how do you know so much about it?" he asked, turning to look at Myra, only to immediately turn away again at her look. "R-right, y-you're a m-mage… d-dumb question…"

"…no, I suppose it is a fair question." Myra said after a few moments of silence. "It was my mother… While she was alive, she taught me how to use magic. She was an amazing mage in her own right." Closing her eyes, she smiled as memories began to flood through her mind. "She was always there for me when I woke up, ready to help me learn. Even when I'd screw up, she never got mad. 'The only mistakes made are the ones that you don't learn from.' That's what she always told me, even after I managed to burn down the garden one or two times… I owe all my ability to her…" With a laugh, she tossed a bit of her wet hair over her shoulder. "Plus, I can thank her for giving me her looks. Looking at me, I'm sure you can understand why Father was smitten with her."

Albert chuckled slightly as he sat down on a rock. "Yeah, you're right about that…" It wasn't until after he'd spoken that he'd realized what he said. Falling off of his seat, he quickly stood up, his red face only barely obscured by the black sky. "I-I mean… that is to say… I'mgoingtograbmorefirewood!" he said quickly, turning to run off into the forest. He made it a few feet into the trees before his leg hit something, causing him to fall and let out a cry of surprise. "Vy if it albays mah feish?!" he said. Slowly, he rose to his feet and turned around, his eyes immediately catching on what had tripped him. "HOLY- L-l-look!"

Sharing a look, Garrett and Myra walked over to where Albert was pointing, each of them showing a look of shock at what they saw: it was a broken sword, wedged deeply into the ground. The same question is running through their minds, though it's Garrett that voices it. "I-is that-"

_***BOOM***_

"What the hell was that?!" Garrett shouted, covering his ears from the noise of the deafening explosion.

"I'm inclined to ask the same, though…" Genevieve paused as she stared off in the direction of where it sounded like it had come from. "I fear it came from the mansion, back where we left that callous mage and-"

"Marco!" Myra shouted. Before anyone could stop her, she took off towards the mansion, fearing the worst for her brother.

"Albert, follow me!" Garrett yelled, pulling the broken sword out of the ground. "Genny, you stay here and keep an eye one Krysta. We'll be back in a few minutes!" With that, Garrett raced into the forest with Albert following close behind on horseback.

Looking towards the forest, Genevieve could only think of one thing to say. "My name isn't 'Genny,' you oaf!"

* * *

"You'll live, so get up."

Marco didn't even have time to register who had spoken before a pair of hands had roughly grabbed him by the shoulders and jerked him off of the ground. As his eyes focused, he saw himself looking at the raven-masked man, who seemed to be no worse for the wear after… whatever had just happened. "Who- who are you?" Marco asked, his head feeling as though it were splitting open. "What happened with the mansion… the mage and you… there was an explosion and…" Letting out a moan of pain, he fell forward, only for the man to catch him.

The man let out a sigh as he set Marco against the side of the crater that he'd found him lying in. "Actually thought you'd have more strength than that. Guess even I can be proven wrong sometimes…" he muttered, ignoring the glare Marco gave him. "My name is inconsequential; all you need to know is that I'm on your side, at least when it comes to stopping that madman. Speaking of whom, he escaped after… well, that." He motioned at the smoking remains of the estate and sighed. "It was foolish of me to put that much power behind my attack… I thought I might finally be able to stop him here, but… well… that happened."

"Who is he?" Marco managed to say, despite the throbbing pain in his skull. "You two… you acted like you knew each other."

"Once, long ago, we did…" the man said after a period of silence. There was an unmistakable sadness to his voice. "I knew him growing up. He… he wasn't always like this, at least, I don't think he was. But something… something changed him, turned him into what he is now: a psychotic devotee to Grima."

"Then… that symbol really was-"

"The Mark of Grima, yes. Make no mistake, he is Grimleal. Potentially one of the most dangerous you will ever encounter." A sudden chill seemed to go down the man's spine at his words, though he seemed to quickly shrug it off. Standing up, he looked down at Marco and gave him a small nod. "Well, I must be off. I may still be able to catch him if I hurry. Before I go, however, allow me to offer one piece of advice: should you encounter him again, and I'm sure you will, don't fight him. Run. Don't even consider the idea that you can win, because there's no way you can, no matter how hard you try. I've lost many a friend to those who thought they could, and I don't wish for anyone to suffer the same fate as them. Farewell, Marcellus du Plegios."

Despite the pain, Marco shot up at hearing that name being spoken. "H-how…?" was all he could ask. His breath seemed to have been ripped from his body and his tongue simply refused to work properly.

The man chuckled, but didn't turn around. "I know quite a bit about you, Marcellus, and your sister Myranda. More than you might care for me to know. However, I mean you nor her harm, so have no fear." He began to walk away, only to stop as a sudden thought struck. "Also, if you see your young friend again, tell him this: there is no shame to be had in being afraid. The only shame he should feel is in letting his fear rule his life." With that, he took a running start and jumped out of the crater, leaving Marco to question everything that had just transpired.

_He knows my name… My __**full**__ name… That shouldn't be possible; all records of it should have been destroyed when our house fell! _"He claims to be on our side, but I still feel as though I should be wary about him…" he muttered. Looking up, he smiled slightly as he saw that the storm had slackened considerably: despite a slight mist of rain, the worst of it had broken, and the sun could even be seen from behind the dark clouds. "Though who to worry about more: him or that mage… Their attacks must have destroyed that mansion. I've never known anyone to wield such power." _Maybe I should take his advi-_

"GODS ALIVE!" a sudden shout shattered his thoughts. "Th-th-th-the mansion! What happened?! Aw, the moment I go back to Ylisstol I am DEAD!" The shouting was soon followed by the sound of someone being hit, which was followed by a loud "OW!"

"Hush it up, Albert. We're not here to gawk at… alright, I'll admit, that's pretty impressive destruction… but that's not the point. We're here to find-"

"MARCO!" a familiar voice called out, sounding frantic as it slowly cracked. Myra was repeatedly yelling his name, trying to get him to respond. Grimacing, Marco slowly began to pull himself out of the crater as he heard the frantic yells turn to sobs of fear. "Marco…" he heard his sister cry.

Pulling himself out of his hole, he couldn't hold back a grin as he saw his sister. "Do you really think so little of me to think that I'd die from something like that?" he asked. He barely had time to blink before a blur of white hair suddenly tackled him further down into the crater, resulting in a moan of pain as his skull felt even closer to splitting open. "Ugh, My-my, I'm glad to see you too, but… can you try not to break my bones?"

"I'm sorry, it's just…" Tears were streaming down her face and her eyes were red. "I… I thought I'd l-lost you… again…" Burying her head in his chest, he held her tightly as she cried, remembering how she would do the exact same thing when they were younger and she was in trouble. _I always swore to protect her then and I will now and forever…_

"Oi, big guy." Garrett called down from the rim of the crater. "I hate to break up such a touching moment, but we've got trouble. We found _this_ out in the forest, with some bad looking signs around it… " He held something that was in his hand up in the air, letting the light catch the edge of it. Marco's eyes shot open in surprise as he recognized what it was:

It was Kale's sword.

* * *

Pain. So much pain.

It's the only thing that I can use to accurately describe how I feel. And it's not just my head, even though that thing hurts like a mother. No, my entire body feels like it's on fire, a result of my withdrawal I'm sure. Just the act of opening my eyes is- did I go blind? Why is it so dark? Wait, why are my arms and legs tied up?

…AM I IN A FUCKING SACK?!

I try opening my mouth, only to realize that my mouth is completely gagged shut. Great. Not that I'd be able to say anything: in my current state, I doubt I'd get out a coherent sentence, not that the fact that I'm IN A SACK is helping matters much. _Ugh… anxiety + claustrophobia: it's a real double whammy… Least there's no spiders, but there's no real way out either._ _Though, maybe Marco an- oh… right… I left them to die like an ass… I really deserve this, don't I?_ I let out what is supposed to be a sigh, though it sounds very restrained. Granted it is. And granted, I should've known better than to make any noises, but…

"Hey, he's awake!" I hear someone shout.

"Well, knock him out again!" I hear- oh God, I can't help it. How am I supposed to be intimidated by someone who sounds so nasal? My entire body starts shaking, half from laughter and half from anxiety, though it quickly goes to full anxiety as I realize someone's standing over me.

"Nighty-night." I hear them say.

_Oh, this is gonna-_

_***BAM***_

* * *

_**And so, another chapter down, and, hey, it was my first one to be written in mostly third-person. I felt like giving the other characters the spotlight a bit, plus it might help flesh them out some. Hopefully, it worked... If any of you saw any problems with how this chapter came out, please tell me. I plan on having a few chapters in third-person in the future and I want to make sure they turn out right. Consider this a test-run.**_

_**Anyway, I'd like to thank everyone, though not for reading this. I'd like to thank you all for not freaking out when I asked for reviews last chapter. Not going to lie, I thought that was going to blow up in my face big time. When it didn't, I can't even begin to explain how glad I felt. I think I've said this before but I'll say it again: My happiness stems from you guys' happiness.**_

_**With all that said, I'd like to thank you all for reading this. Maybe you could leave a review below with your thoughts and/or criticisms. Regardless, I hope you all have a nice day.**_


	9. Chapter 9: Haven

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem, only my own OC's...You know the drill.**_

**Chapter 9: Haven**

"This is where we found it, right there in the ground." Garrett said, motioning to a spot on the ground where they had found Kale's sword with said sword. "Well, I guess Albert's the one who found it. Rather, his foot did." He snickered slightly at the indignant expression on the cavalier's face before turning serious again. "I don't like it; smells like trouble to me. From the state our friend was in, that isn't good." Turning to Marco, he shrugged. "So, what's the plan?"

"Plan?" Marco asked, somewhat confused and tired. He was already tired from the battle and the subsequent explosion that had thrown him into a tree, and the walk to the forest clearing where Genevieve was watching over Krysta didn't help matters much. "I… I don't understand. Yes, we found his sword, but how does that mean that he's in danger?" From the way Myra and Garrett had been acting when they'd talked about Kale, Marco had feared the worst, that he might be dead. As it stood, he didn't see anything wrong. "What makes you think anything is wrong?"

"I'm going to have to agree with Marco, Garrett." Myra said. She was lying against Marco, who was lying against a tree. After returning from the mansion, she'd suddenly lost all of her energy and had nearly collapsed. "I mean, I'm worried about Kale too, but I don't see how he's in danger. From what I saw, he freaked out and ran. Couldn't he have just dropped his sword here as he… well…" She looked down as she remembered the sight of Kale running away, the look on his face still worrying her. "Anyway, why do you say he's in trouble?"

"Right, you probably don't know much about tracking…" Garrett muttered, turning away from the group. "Alright, one of the things that I learned while I was a bandit was-" He was interrupted as Albert suddenly put the tip of his lance at his throat, though Garrett seemed to care very little about the fact that he had a blade at his throat. "Kid, what the hell do you think you're doin'?" he asked, looking down at the cavalier.

Albert puffed out his chest slightly as he faced up against the former bandit. "You're a bandit! You've killed, plundered, and pillaged from the good people of Ylisse! As a knight in the service of the Lady Exalt, I can't just let you-"

"Oh, shut up!" Garrett snapped, grabbing the end of the spear that was pointed towards him and shoving it out of his face. "Yeah, I was a bandit. Hear that keyword, was? You know, the word you use when you say that you aren't something anymore? Get the hint? I'm not a bandit! I gave that job up to work with these idiots. Sorry." he said, looking towards Marco and Myra. Marco simply raised his hand in forgiveness while Myra looked away in annoyance. "Anyways, yeah, I was a bandit, but no more. So before you start pointing that stick in someone's face, make sure you've got your damn facts straight!" he yelled.

Albert looked like he was about to say something, only for Genevieve to cut him off. "I must agree, my brave knight, that you are acting rather uncouth. This man has shown us no ill will, nor has he shown any intentions of returning to his previous way of life. If he wishes better for himself, than all we can do is allow it."

Chewing his lip, Albert looked between Garrett and Genevieve before finally swearing under his breath and kicking at a tree. "Fine. I'll accept that he's not a bandit anymore, but that doesn't mean I'm letting him off the hook. I'm taking him to Ylisstol where he'll be tried for his crimes. The first step he should take, if he is trying to be a better man, is to pay for what he's done. So, if you'd be so kind as to follow me, we'll be-" He stopped as Garrett suddenly took a step back and took a stance, as if he was preparing to fight. "What are you doing?"

"You just don't stop, do ya?" Garrett chuckled. "You've got guts, I'll give you that. Unfortunately, guts don't mean that I'll be going anywhere, especially to some cell or the executioner's block. But, I'll tell you what: beat me in a fight, man-to-man, and I'll go with you. If I win, you forget about this whole thing and the idea of sending me to prison, got it? Hell, I'll even make it interesting for ya: I won't use either of my arms."

Albert smiled and cracked his knuckles. "Then you're as good as mine!" Albert yelled, running towards Garrett with his fist reared back. "Get ready to-" The fight was over already. Realizing that Albert would act the way he did, Garrett stepped to the side and extended his foot, tripping the cavalier. Before Albert could stand, he felt Garrett's boot on the back of his head.

"Fall?" Garrett asked, a smile plastered on his face.

"I HAIFE VY LOIFE!" Albert shouted from beneath the boot of the bandit.

"Alas, my brave knight has fallen. Perhaps in the future he shall look before he leaps." Genevieve sighed.

Shaking his head, Marco looked towards Garrett. "So, you were saying?"

"Right, well, when I was a bandit, I learned how to track people down. Real useful skill, that: helped me catch a few people who crossed the gang every now and again. Anyway, I saw signs of a person being carried near where the sword was. If you look over there, you'll see the tracks made by something being dragged. Give you one guess as to what it was."

"So, you mean to tell me Kale's been kidnapped?" Marco asked, sitting up suddenly. "But, who would want to kidnap him? And why would they kidnap Kale?"

"Kale…"

Everyone, save Albert, looked up in shock as Krysta muttered Kale's name. Slowly, her eyes opened. "Wh-what happened to Kale? Where is he?" she asked, trying to sit up only for Genevieve to slowly lower her back down.

"Easy there, Krysta." Garrett said, motioning for her to stop with his hands. "It's nothing that you should be worrying your pretty little head about, least not so soon. You got pretty roughed up back there at the mansion. You're still probably a bit woozy from blood loss and you need you're rest. Actually, do you remember anything that happened back there?"

"Just… screaming… Someone entered the library and everyone started screaming. I… was healing someone when it happened. All I can remember is someone in black attacking me and then… Kale saved me." She lifted up her head, her eyes pleading. "Please, what happened? Where's Kale?"

"It's alright, Krysta." Marco said, kneeling down next to her. "Kale's… missing. We think he may have been taken by someone, though we're not sure who. However, if he was taken, then that means that its good news. They must want him alive for some reason, so at least we can be sure that he isn't dead."

* * *

"…we're losing him!"

_YOU IDIOTS! FUCKING FIX ME OR I PROMISE YOU I WILL HAUNT EACH OF YOU FOR AN ETERNITY! _I silently scream in my head as I hear the doctors frantically trying to save me. Trying being the operative word. I'm pretty sure it's a bad sign when I just pop in and I'm already in critical condition. _For the love of God, I know this is Arkansas, but can we please have __**some**__ competence?! And we wonder why so many people make fun of our state…_ I let out an inward sigh _…This has just been one of those days, hasn't it? I start feeling withdrawal, I turn my back on my friends, I freaking lose it, I get kidnapped, and now I'm dying._

…_I'm really dying…_

_Fuck my existence… _I resign myself to whatever the doctors can do to me. They'll do what they can, I suppose, and it's not like I can do much in my current state. Best to just let nature take its course. I mean hey, at least I'm not back in- why do I feel like I'm being sucked away? _Wait, this is another world transition, isn't it? But I don't want to go to- _Suddenly, I feel a wave of exhaustion hit me and before I even realize it, the world begins to fade away as I lose consciousness.

* * *

"Well, this isn't what I expected." I mutter as I slowly sit up from where I was laying. I'm back in the white world, only this time, it's a bit… different. There's actually a solid floor now, made of what looks like white marble or something along those lines. There aren't really any defined walls, which means this place could run on forever, but that's not what has my attention. What catches my attention is the fact that I'm not alone. Standing a few yards away from me is… a person? I'm not quite sure what to call it, considering it's all black. And I don't mean the color of its skin: the entire figure in front of me is one solid black mass of something. There are no distinguishing features about it; no nose, no mouth, no eyes, muscles… anything! I can't even tell if it's supposed to be a guy or a girl…

"So, I see that you have chosen to continue meddling." it says. Great, even the voice makes it indistinguishable. It sounds like a man and a woman are speaking at the same time, trying to overlap each other. The result is every other word coming out in a different pitch and tone. "However, I also see that you have finally seen the results of your interference."

_The results… Wait, it is not pinning the freaky mage on me! _"Hey, I had nothing to do with that Grimleal freak back there! I-"

"But you did. Do you not remember?" The thing waves one of its hands and suddenly, that little baby from Southtown just materializes in front of me. "I attempted to warn you the first time, yet you refused to listen. From the moment you arrived in this world, your actions have altered its course. From now on, everything that happens in this world shall be a result of your existence."

"The hell do you mean, 'my existence?' For crying out loud, I didn't even want to come here! Hell, I don't even know how I'm in Ylisse!" I'm practically fuming at this point and I feel like knocking this- _Calm down, Kale, calm down…_ I close my eyes and take in a deep breath and let it out slowly, running my hands through my hair. "Look. I don't know what happened to me, okay? I don't know why I'm in the hospital in my world dying or in Ylisse. All I do know is that I've been doing everything that I've been doing because it's felt like the right thing to do. So I'm sorry if I'm somehow ruining this perfect plan or something that this world is supposed to go by, but I'm not going to change how I act just because of what you say."

The figure is silent for the longest time, its arms crossed and folded against its chest and I swear its studying me, like I'm some alien from another- okay, I _am_ technically from another world, but still. "Very well. Then allow me to show you the pain and suffering your actions shall cause this world."

_That doesn't sound good…_ I suddenly grab my chest as I feel all the air leave my body. Screams of pain, agony, hate, and fear start ringing through my ears as I collapse to the ground, tears already forming in my eyes. My entire body… the pain I'm in is indescribable. I think being set on fire would be nearly painless compared to this. Brutal images flash through my mind: bodies practically torn to shreds, people running in terror as Risen run across the landscape, strange monsters that I've never seen before silhouetted against flames that are razing towns, the mage in black brutally killing the few men and women who try and fight back, and the Fell Dragon Grima itself is reining destruction down. _This… can't be my fault! I'm going to cause this much pain?_

"Do you now realize what your very existence means for this world?" I hear the figure say. "You are a curse, a malignant tumor that has invaded this innocent world and has irreparably corrupted it. I wish I could simply remove you from this world here and now… It would make things so much simpler."

"T-then… do it!" I sob out. I'm twitching on the ground, any strength I may have had suddenly gone. The sheer pain and agony I felt… it's horrible and I still feel waves of it hitting me. _And I shall cause it just by existing… It would be better to die now._ "Just- just kill me, damn you! I don't want to live if I'll cause this!" _Would this be considered suicide? …I think it would be, but it would be for the best… Why should I live if it will make the world suffer further?_

"If only it were that easy." The figure starts to walk towards me. "You see, though it would bring me great pleasure to snuff out your life's flame, it would accomplish nothing." My eyes widen in fear as it stops and kneels down in front of me. "No, you have already caused too much damage to this world. Your death would be meaningless, as the events have already been set in motion and I am unable to stop them. Regrettably, ending you is not an option. However, I believe killing you would be what you would want at this point, correct?" It lets out what I swear is a laugh, though it's so cold and heartless that I don't know what to call it. Definitely not a laugh. "No, I believe that the best course of action is to _allow_ you to live, to suffer through life knowing that this world shall suffer due to your actions. Enjoy what miserable life you have left, Kale."

I don't even have a chance to say anything before my entire world fades to black.

* * *

"…far are we to Plegia, boss?"

Well, that's not something you want to hear after you've just been told that you are, in essence, the reason that an entire world is in peril. Actually, you probably don't want to hear anything after that, but hearing someone ask how far away they are from Plegia definitely doesn't help matters. I try and open my eyes and- OW, no, that's not happening. That light is way too bright for some reason. And my head is pounding for some reason. _Right, I got hit on the head, didn't I? …Didn't I? …Yeah, that's how I got knocked out… I think… it's probably bad that I can't figure this out, isn't it?_

An oddly familiar voice snaps me out of my attempts to find the possible brain damage I may have. "Stop complaining you idiot! We're still in the heart of damned Ylisse, with the capital not far from us! Be happy that we haven't been caught by anyone yet!" the person, who is still so familiar - oh, it's Nasal Voice! And his voice is still as nasally as ever. _Must… keep… from laughing… _ "Besides, thanks to that storm earlier, the ground is soaking wet. If we try and move now, anyone who wants to come after us would have no trouble following our tracks. We have to rest here until the morning, when the ground dries."

There's a period of silence. A long, drawn-out period of silence. An abysmally long, period of nothing but complete and utter quiet. _…did they go to sle-_

"Alright, but why do we have to carry this guy around?"_?_ I hear non-nasal say. _The hell were they so quiet for?_ I hear a quick series of footsteps and- OW! SONOFABITCH! I sit up and let out a shout of pain, my ribs stinging from the kick. "Shit, he's awake! Boss, should I-"

"No, let him stay awake." Nasal Voice says, laughing slightly as he says it. "I think it's about time he knew who his host was, don't you?" _Actually a good question, thank you._ I manage to open my eyes, though my head still hurts like it was hit with a hammer _(granted, it might have been)_ and look for the source of the- Well, this was unexpected. _You can't be serious…_ My eyes practically fall out of my head as I see who the voice belongs to: the swordsman from Southtown, standing over me and sporting a very crooked nose. _Did he break it?_ _How'd he- oh yeah, I did that… shit._ "Ah, so you recognize me, eh? So, you probably also remember my friend that you gutted back in that Ylissean rat-hole, don't you!" With that, he rears his leg back and- okay, I think he just broke a rib… possibly. I let out another scream and roll over onto my stomach. My arms and legs are still bound, so I'm helpless as I'm suddenly lifted to my feet and turned around to face the swordsman. "Aw, I think he does remember me…"

"W-why are you t-taking me to Plegia?" I ask, my body trembling from pain, anger, and my good friend, anxiety, who is hitting me like a tidal wave at the moment. Taking a look around, I see a massive amount of bandits- no, not bandits: Plegian soldiers, each trained to fight to their death I'm sure. They're looking at me like I'm a monster, like they're ready to tear me to pieces.

"Quite a lot of men, eh boy? Bet you're wondering why I've gathered them all, just to hunt you down. Oh, it's pretty simple, really." the swordsman says as he places a hand on my shoulder. "You see, my friend and mine's families are real close. You'd almost call the two of us brothers, considering we grew up so close. So, imagine how angry I was after I watched you spill his guts on Ylissean soil." He suddenly punches me in the stomach, causing me to groan in pain and double over, though he grabs me by the chin and hoists me back up. He looks me in the eye and smiles. "Then, take in the fact that we both came from two noble houses in Plegia and that these men who surround you have all been aided by our families in one way or another!" He hits me again, in the side. "I'm taking you home to dear ole Plegia, where our families and friends will happily tear you to pieces, bit by bit, in revenge for my brother." I brace myself and close my eyes as I see him rear his fist back, though nothing can really prepare me for the pain that comes as he punches me directly in my face. I fall to the ground as he and a few other people laugh. "Of course, I don't think you need to be in the best of shape to make it to Plegia. Boys, you all remember Gilroy, right?"

"Aye, one of the best!" "We'll never forget Gilly!" "'e was as much a brother to me as you, sir!"

"Well then…" He stops to lift me off the ground again. Opening my eyes, I see a surprisingly large group of bandits around me. "Here's the bastard that killed him! I saw it with my own two eyes and have the scars to prove it! He's the reason I scoured this gods forsaken country to gather all of you: not only to kill him, but to strike directly at the heart of Ylisse! We will swarm over the countryside, destroying every town and village we come across, weakening this land until Gangrel himself is able to walk onto this soil and take the life of the Exalt with his own blade. None of this would be possible without your aid! So as a gift from me to you all, I'll give each and every one of you a single hit on him, my blood brother's killer!" With a grunt, he throws me to the ground. I land on my back, helpless as I see a crowd of faces suddenly fill my vision. _This is going to hurt… very badly._ "Have at him, boys!"

I close my eyes as- wait, what's that wet stuff falling on me? Is it rain- SHIT! A sudden peal of thunder rips through the sky as a bolt of lightning strikes a nearby tree, turning it into a bomb as pieces of flaming wood scatter through the ranks of the bandits. "For the glory of Naga!" I hear someone oddly familiar call out. _Why do they sound familiar?_ As I struggle to sit up, my ribs still feeling like they're on fire _(pretty sure one's at least cracked… either that or I'm just that weak… probably the latter)_ I see a group of men and women rushing the bandits. Leading them is- Libra!? _This is a welcome surprise. Libra's at least in my top ten._ "So, that man's words rang true: Plegian bandits have dared to come so close to Ylisstol… In Naga's name, I can not allow this!" he shouts as he runs towards the nearest bandit and cuts him down. For a 'monk,' he's surprisingly good with an axe. _Wait, he's a war monk… I'm going to blame the brain damage for forgetting that part_. A sudden shout from my right catches my attention as a bandit falls to the ground, his axe embedding itself in the ground. Inspiration suddenly flashes through my mind before I start wriggling over to it. _It works in books and movies… It better work here!_ I place my bound wrists over the blade of the axe, careful not to cut them, and start sawing. It only takes a few seconds before I feel them fall off and with a smile, I use my now-free hands to untie my legs just as another monk runs up to me, a staff in his hand.

"Glad to see someone friendly…" I manage to say. My side is killing me from where I was kicked, making talking and breathing not the most fun thing in the world to do and the fact that my body is trembling slightly from my anxiety isn't helping matters at all. "Hey, I think they might have hurt my ribs. Mind working your magic?" I ask. Without a word, he immediately sets down beside me and holds up his staff. I grit my teeth as pain washes over my body, though it quickly fades, leaving me feeling rejuvenated. "Many thanks, friend. Tell me, who are you and how did you find these bandits?"

"I am Brother Andrew. Brother Libra was found by a man wearing a strange mask and was told to come here. We're certainly glad we did: these Plegians are too close to our monastery for my liking." He takes a look at me and suddenly walks off. I follow him as he walks over to a fallen bandit, bends down, grabs a sword, and…

"NO!" I scream, backing away hurriedly. "Get that thing away from me! I won't kill anyone again, do you understand me?! I WON'T HAVE MORE BLOOD ON MY HANDS, DAMN YOU!" _Shit, calm down! If I don't get my medicine, or some equivalent of it, I'm going to completely lose it…_ I try and will myself to stand or apologize, but my body instead starts to curl itself into a ball as tears start rolling down my face. "No more… I don't want to kill anymore…" I sob. Loudly and embarrassingly, sure, but the truth of the matter is, I don't want to fight. I don't want to have to kill to survive. If I touch that sword, then I'm going to be expected to do just that, and… I'm not sure if I can. No, I _know _I can't. "Please, don't make me fight…" I can't even help it: I start breaking down, tears rolling down my face in streams as I hear the sounds of battle all around me, rain hitting the top of my head as thunder booms over head and lightning flashes.

"Men, retreat!" I hear Nasal Voice shout after a few minutes. "This isn't the last you've seen of me, boy! You will regret the day you ever crossed me! Remember my name so you can know who it will be who kills you: Randell of the Dunes!" _Yay, good for you, you have a self-important title… Big whoop._

I flinch as someone's hand touches my shoulder. "It is alright. No one here is going to harm you." I look up at hearing Libra's voice and, sure enough, the androgynous monk is hovering over me like a protective mother. Or father. Or androgynous person. You know, I was able to recognize him as a guy right off when I first met him in-game but here, I can understand how people would mistake him for a woman. "Would you mind telling me your name or what it is these bandits wanted with you?" he asks in a gentle voice.

"I-I killed someone he knew… He- he was there in Southtown and I…" I suddenly ball up and start crying again as I remember the look on the axe man's face as I drove the sword through his stomach. Even if he was a monster, he was still a human! "No more… I don't want to fight anymore…" The stress of it all suddenly catches up with me and as I pass out, I can hear the monks shouting for help.

* * *

"They managed to rescue him after all… Good." The raven-masked swordsman nodded in satisfaction as he stepped from the tree line, sheathing his sword. The storm began to calm as he did so, slackening to a slight rainstorm rather than the gale it had been. "So, Brother Libra, it seems you took my advice after all." he called out to the monk, who spun around in surprise and gripped his axe tightly. "Peace, friend. I mean you no harm, though I am wounded that you forgot who I am."

Libra's grip on his axe relaxed as the swordsman's figure became more familiar. "So, it is you. I was hoping that I would have the chance to thank you after this, though I didn't know where I could find you. Naga seems to have brought you here for this reason, and as such, I feel obligated to thank you." He took a slow look at the remains of the bandit camp. "Though, I must ask just how you knew of this camp. It was quite well hidden."

The swordsman merely shrugged. "I travel quite often, to the point where I've become attuned to the natural world. From the way the animals were acting as I passed through this area, I knew there must have been some disturbance. It certainly seems as though I were correct." Looking past Libra, he gestured at the unconscious figure on the ground. "And what about him?"

The monk frowned. "I wish I knew what was wrong with him. He was simply crying, as though a great tragedy had befallen him. Whether one has or has not, I cannot tell."

"I'm not sure about what may have happened to him either, though I do notice a few things. For one, he carries a sheath but he carries no sword. He wears the clothes of a swordsman, so one would expect him to wield a blade and yet he feared touching the weapon when it was offered to him." The swordsman paused and cupped his chin with his hand. "It also sounded as though he and that bandit, Randell of the Dunes, knew of each other." Noticing the expression on Libra's face, he shrugged. "Yes, I was watching the entire conflict. I chose not to intervene for two reasons. One: it appeared that your force was more than capable of defeating these bandits. Two: I've had to travel more today than I have in weeks. I apologize for being tired but I'm afraid that I would have been of no assistance in battle."

Libra nodded once. "I can both understand and forgive you for your reasons. Now then, if you will excuse us, we must head back to the monastery. A room and a set of clothes will have to be readied for this new arrival." He gestured at the unconscious young man with his free hand.

The swordsman stepped to the side and held out an arm. "May you be safe on your travels, friend." As Libra was walking past him, the swordsman suddenly reached out and grabbed him by the sleeve of his coat. "Forgive me, but I must ask a favor. Please, make sure that you take good care of this young man." He looked at the unconscious figure and sighed. "Don't ask me why, but I feel as though this person… No, I _know_ this person is in some way, shape, or form, is responsible for me being alive right now. I wouldn't wish any harm to come to him." Walking over to the young man, he knelt down and pushed a few strands of hair from his face.

"Stay safe, Kale." he whispered.

* * *

Randell of the Dunes was furious. Not only had he lost the person responsible for the death of one of his closest friends and blood brother, but he'd also lost several members of the already small troupe of bandits he led and had been completely embarrassed by a group of monks. _Monks_, of all people, had bested him in battle. He was a warrior, brought up in the harsh climate of Plegia, taught by his father and multiple teachers to be a master swordsman. Rarely had he ever been bested in combat by anyone. And now, he sat on a ledge that overlooked a small clearing, steaming in anger at losing to Ylissean monks. "To lose against them… My name has been dragged through the mud. I shall not stand for this…"

"Boss," one of his men said, walking up to him, "our scouts just reported back. That group that the boy's been travelling with isn't too far from our position. They appear to be heading to Ylisstol."

"We already knew that, you idiot!" Randell snapped, whirling on the man. "Ever since we began following them, we knew they were heading towards Ylisstol! What I want to know is where the boy is going!" Sighing, he knelt down on the ground, using his scabbard as support. "Ever since I saw that boy cut down my brother, I've sought nothing but vengeance. I gathered together as many men from the infiltration cells that King Gangrel sent into this accursed country as I could in order to hunt down that brat. I got lucky when I crossed by Alech and learned that he'd been by there and had a small group of people with him. We followed them, waiting for a chance to strike and nearly got torn apart by those beasts in the process, but we finally managed to catch him, and for what? To have him be rescued by a group of monks?" Growling, he stood up and pulled out his blade. "No. No, I will not allow him to escape like this!" Standing up, he moved over to the clearing where the remainder of his men, numbering close to a hundred, rested and recuperated. He cleared his throat, gaining all of their attention.

"Men, what happened today was an insult. Not only to the name of my blood brother, but also to the name of we Plegians! We were chased off by mere monks, men of the cloth who barely know of what true battle is! We, who have grown strong and wise as we lived in the harsh desert and endured the battering sands, shall we allow this to go unpunished? No! We shall not stand for this! Our plan has not changed! We shall still march across the countryside, striking in the darkness and plunging the knife of fear and terror into the hearts of every Ylissean. But first, we must strike at one of the places where they gain their strength, one of the places where they would not dream we would attack." Holding his sword into the air, he let out a shout. "We attack the home of those monks and raze it to the ground, with all of them inside! From there, we march and do the same to the entire country! On my name as Randell of the Dunes, I swear that we shall not fail!"

"Randell! Randell! Randell!" the soldiers began to cheer as their leader looked down on them from the ledge he stood, a smile on his face.

For his family, his country, and his brother, he would burn this country to the ground.

* * *

Where the heck am I? The last thing I remember was… me bawling like a baby on the ground while Libra and a few other monks watched me. _Great… never going to live that one down… But seriously, where am I and why are these sheets so comfy?_ I slowly open my eyes, taking note that, thankfully, my head doesn't feel like it'll split open from the light coming in from the window, and look around. I'm lying on a small bed in a medium-sized room, with another bed, currently unoccupied, on the far wall. Besides that, there's a small dresser between the two and the door. The floor and walls are all hard wood, nicely polished. Rolling out of my bed, I see that the only things I'm wearing currently are my boots and pants, the latter of which I am particularly thankful. My chest is bandaged, probably to help with any damage my ribs sustained. _I thought the healing would've taken care of that though…_

"The healing can only do so much. Even with staves, a broken or cracked rib will need time to recover, though it won't take as much time. You should be fine in a day or so." I look up as someone speaks. Standing in the doorway and leaning against the door, which I swear was closed a moment ago, is a young man about my age. His hair is a mess of black and dark blonde that's been roughly cut, hanging just above his dark green eyes and down to the nape of his neck. He's wearing a black and green coat that trails along the ground over a black shirt, though the shirt's barely able to be seen as the coat's buttoned nearly to the top. I can see what looks like a necklace hanging around his neck, though the rest is hidden beneath his shirt, and tied around his waist is a dark red and gold belt that has a scabbard hanging off the left side. He has a light brown pair of pants on with a pair of black boots covering his feet. "No, I don't read minds, so don't bother asking. Just figured from the look on your face that you were wondering why you needed the bandages after being healed." He says with a smile. Walking over to me, he extends his hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you. The name's Daven."

I extend my hand, noting a faint pain in my side, and grip his firmly. "Kale. The feeling's mutual, Daven." Looking around, I frown. "So… you have any idea what they did with my clothes? I don't feel comfortable walking around with just my pants on."

Daven chuckles lightly. "Well, they weren't in the best of condition from what I've heard. If I had to guess, either Brother Andrew or Sister Anise is working on fixing them up. They're the ones who patched up my clothes when I stumbled through their doors a few days ago. Don't know when you'll get them back though." He just shrugs and turns around. "Right, well, you should probably come with me. Brother Libra said he wanted to talk to you as soon as you woke up." He laughs again as if something's funny. "Man, can you sleep or what? It was barely dark when they got you in last night and its already past noon right now."

Standing up, I slap him on the back of the head. Not hard, but just enough to get him to stop laughing. "Hey, I had a pretty rough day yesterday, alright? So cut me some slack, will you?" I snap. I walk past him and make it to the door when I realize he's not following me. I turn around and instead see him standing there, an odd look on his face. "What's the matter? I didn't hit you too hard, did I?"

My words shook him out of whatever trance he was in, as he shakes his head suddenly. "No, that's not it. Just… it's nothing." He still looks a bit shaken as he strides past me. "Come on, Brother Libra's room is this way." he says without looking at me. I let out a sigh as I look out the door and see just how long the hallways are. I start moving after him, as I'm sure I could easily get lost in here without a guide.

* * *

_...I totally knew it. I __**knew**__ I would get lost here. _Sure enough, it barely takes me fifteen minutes to lose sight of Daven and get lost in the maze of long, complex mess of a hall system they have here. _How do the monks and nuns get around this place? You'd need a freaking map to find the front door!_ I take a look at the hallway I'm currently in. It's completely devoid of anyone else, which is surprising, though there is a door at the end of the hall. I immediately start walking towards it. _If a door is at the end of a hallway, it's usually important. Let's just hope it's not the women's restroom. _As I finally make it to the door, I'm slightly confused by the fact that I hear no noise whatsoever coming from the other side. I give it an experimental knock to check and see if anyone will reply. Nothing. _If no one's in here, then it might be for a good reason. I should probably- Screw it, we're going in!_ I turn the doorknob, which is surprisingly unlocked, and walk inside.

The good news is that I doubt I'm anywhere I'm not supposed to be. It's a library, so chances are that there are some people in here and that they're just being quiet. The bad news is that the library, from where I'm standing at least, looks like it's just as complex, if not more so, than the halls. And it's cold in here, which makes me really regret not asking Daven if there was a shirt I could borrow. Sighing, I start moving along, looking for an exit or at least someone to show me the way.

Fifteen minutes later, I'm no better off than when I started. If anything, I'm even more lost. The shelves in the library are just like the halls: long, convoluted, and way too plentiful. On the bright side, I did manage to find a few books that I thought were somewhat interesting. I love reading and I really haven't had any time to sit down and read since I've gotten here, so this might be my chance. Besides, I might be stuck in here for a while, so I might as well have something to- was that someone's voice?

"_This way…"_

It's faint, but I can hear it. A man's voice, if I had to guess. I immediately set down the row that I heard it coming down, picking up my pace as I hear it a few more times. After taking the most convoluted route I can think of, I'm rewarded not with a door, an exit, or a guide.

I'm rewarded with a sword in a glass case.

Walking up to it, despite my reluctance to take hold of a sword ever again, I can see that just the scabbard itself is a masterpiece, a regular work of art. Intricate gold designs run up the length of the black sheath. The grip is a mixture of ivory, gold, and some dark wood, with a small golden hilt. Walking around to the other side of the case, I see that the other side of the scabbard doesn't have the same patterning. Instead, there's some strange text there, though I can't make it out.

"'_Here rests the Sword of Arashi, the Beast of the Heavens.' That is what it says, Harbinger."_

I fall back as a voice suddenly rings out from seemingly nowhere, dropping all of my books in a pile. "W-who's there?" I shout, looking around wildly. I hear a deep chuckling coming from near the case. I stand up to look and see if anyone's there, only to realize that the chuckling isn't coming from near the glass case.

It's coming from inside of it.

"_Finally, someone who hears my voice. I was getting impatient waiting for one like you to arrive."_

* * *

**_So, I was planning on uploading this last Friday... and then my internet cut out._**

**_Such is life._**

**_Anyway, if any of you were getting impatient for this chapter to come out, then I apologize. At least now you know my reasons. There's not a lot that I have to say, to be honest, so I'll just make this one quick. I'd like to thank you all for taking the time to read this, maybe leave a review if you'd like, and I hope you all have a nice day._**


	10. Chapter 10: Collision Course

**_Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem, only my Original Characters._**

* * *

**Chapter 10: Collision Course**

"_Finally, someone who hears my voice. I was getting impatient waiting for one like you to arrive."_

It spoke. The fucking sword is speaking. To me. _…I got hit harder on the head than I thought, didn't I?_ I close my eyes and shake my head as I realize that that isn't the case. _No, the sword is actually speaking. It's an actual talking sword, isn't it?... I was __**joking**__ when I thought a sword could be possessed, universe!_ Standing up slowly, I walk over to the case and place my hand on it. "D-did you actually just say something?" I ask, already knowing the answer.

"_Yes, I did." _it replies. I jump, despite the fact that I was sure that it would have a reply. _"And I am certainly glad to know that someone, finally, after all of these- er, wait. What year is it?"_

"Oh, it's-" …Wow, it just hit me that I don't know the year. Or even what day it is in this world. My intellect is astounding. I mean, I probably could've asked, but then whoever I asked would've wanted to know why I _didn't_ know. "…I'm actually not quite sure myself." I answer quietly. "I've been hit in the head a lot recently, at least three times. I think it's scrambled my brain around a bit. Sorry, but I don't actually know."

There's a period of silence before I get a reply. _"…That's unfortunate. But, I suppose such things cannot be helped, can they?" _The voice almost sounds upset. Which is extremely odd to even consider when you realize that the voice is still coming from a _sword._ _"Ah well, I suppose I should allow you to take on your role as Harbinger now. Come and grasp the blade you see before you. Take upon yourself the title of Harbinger, and-"_

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, slow down there… sword… spirit… thing." I say, backing away from the display case with my hands held in front of me. "I'm sorry but I've think you've got the wrong guy. I'm not the harbinger of anything. I'm just…" _ I suppose there's a couple of things I could call myself._ _A coward? A child playing games?_ _A worthless nobody? …someone with serious self-esteem issues? _"…I'm just a normal person." Okay, I'm a 'normal' person in the sense that I can hear a sword speaking to me, but still. Plus, I'm not too keen on the idea of having the title of 'Harbinger'. A name like that just sounds like it'll cause trouble. Being called that… just unnerves me.

"_Normal? Ha, far from it." _the sword says, which kinda crushes my mood. _"No, in fact the very fact that you are hearing my voice is the proof that you, are indeed, the Harbinger that I have waited so long for." _It clears its throat, which, I should say, is as weird as it sounds, before continuing. _"Now, take this blade and with it, the title of Harbinger, as is your right."_

"No, I promise you that I'm perfectly fine without having this title." I say, kneeling down to pick up the books I dropped. I'm not entirely sure _why_ I'm stopping to pick up these books when all I really want to do is haul ass out of this place, but I do it anyway. "Now, I'm sure that if you wait for a few weeks or so, someone who _is_ deserving of being the… Harbinger will appear and claim you." I turn to leave when I realize the obvious: I'm lost. That's how I got here in the first place. _Son of a bitch! …How can monastery have such a huge library? OR that many hallways?_

"Hey, Kale! You in here?" I hear a voice call out over the bookcases. _Daven? Good, someone who might have some idea as to get out of here._

"I'm over this way!" I shout back, my voice echoing through the empty alcoves of the room. Turning back to the display case, I just flash a sincere smile. "Well, that's my cue to be going. It was nice meeting you… um…"

The sword merely laughs, _(seriously, how does it do these things? Clearing its 'throat', laughing, __**speaking?**__) _causing a bit of anxiety to build up inside._ "Very well, Harbinger. Go and enjoy your life as it is currently. I will allow you to fool yourself with the delusion that you are, in fact, not the Harbinger of Arashi. However, know that, eventually, you will seek out this blade again. Of your own want and need."_

Any fear or anxiety that I might have been feeling immediately disappears. This… _thing,_ has seriously pissed me off. Let's list off the things I've been through, shall we? I've, apparently, been in a horrible accident that has left me in critical condition in _my_ world, had said accident throw me into _this_ world, had to kill to survive, had a nervous breakdown and ran when my friends needed me, and just had a mysterious being tell me that I'm this world's cancer. And now, this sword, a fucking hunk of metal, is telling me that I am some form of 'Harbinger' for someone or something called 'Arashi'. Nope, this is a very bad day to have pissed me off. "Alright, listen here: I am no one's Harbinger, got that? The word 'harbinger' usually isn't used in the best light. The only harbingers that I can even think of are usually evil. So let me make one thing clear: I don't care what you say, because I am NOT the FUCKING HARBINGER!" I don't even realize that my voice has reached shouting levels until I hear it bounce back at me, making me quickly cover my mouth. _Shit, someone had to have heard me… I'm going to look mental. Then again, I might be._

Again, the sword laughs. _"Very well." _is all it says. I wait for it to start speaking again, only for it to remain silent. Good. Maybe it finally got the hint that I don't want to be some kind of 'chosen one' or something like that. Stories where people find weapons and relics that talk to them and tell them that they're some kind of 'chosen one' never seem to end well anyways. Something about the object usually having an ulterior motive, if I remember right. Then again, I can't actually think of any specific time I've read about something like that in a book or saw it in a show or on a movie, so-

"Hey, Kale!" I hear Daven shout. Whirling around, and flinching as I realize that my ribs, in fact, do still hurt, I see the black and green swordsman emerging from one of the numerous rows of bookcases. "Ah, there you are." he says, sighing with relief. "You know, when I showed up at Brother Libra's door and I saw you weren't with me, I was ready to start packing my bags right then and there."

I just raise an eyebrow in confusion. "Why? I'm sure that the monks and the nuns here wouldn't kick you out over one…" I stop as I see a sheepish expression coming over his face. "…I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that you've screwed up quite a few times around here, haven't you?"

He chuckles nervously and scratches the back of his head. "Heheheh… well, you'd be right. I _might_ have accidently dropped a few valuable books into the fireplace when I was helping out in here once. And I _might _have walked into the wrong washroom while the nuns were currently… occupying it. …three or four times." My jaw drops slightly and he looks down to the ground and kicks an imaginary pebble. "There's also the possibility that I _may _have caused a small bout of food sickness the last time I cooked dinner."

…_May God have mercy on this boy's parents… _I shake my head in disbelief. "Wow, that's… quite the record to have. Of course, I'm sure that this must've happened over a few months or weeks, right? Surely they don't hold grudges that last that long." His shoulders slump, causing me to tilt my head in confusion. "What? What's wrong?"

"…a week." he mutters under his breath, barely audible. Looking up at me, I see that his face is a deep red. "That would be true… if I hadn't been here for less than a week." he quietly says. "I came into the monastery after I'd fallen out of a tree. And down a hillside. Into a pack of Risen. I managed to hold them off but I was pretty roughed up afterwards. The kind people here took me in and patched me up, though I'm sure they regret that by now." He picks himself up and puts on a bit of a carefree grin. "But hey, that's just how life works sometimes, right? Some people are just natural screw-ups." _I'd say you go beyond being a natural screw-up. It sounds unnatural in every possible way._ "Anyway, I think its time that I finally got you to Brother Libra's room. I need to salvage this as much as I can before they decide to throw me out." He makes to grab me by the shoulder when he stops. Following the path of his eyes, I see that they've landed on the talking, but now thankfully silent, sword. "That sword…"

My eyes widen to the point where I'm sure they'll fall out of their sockets. "W-wha? What about that sword?" I ask. I'm royally confused at this point: the expression on his face makes it look as though he's seeing something that he hasn't seen in ages for the first time. "I mean, I guess it looks nice and all, but it's just a sword, right?"

He frowns and bites his lip. "I suppose you're right. It's just… I don't know. Gods, I swear I've seen that sword before." He walks up to the case and places his hands on it, leaning forward to get a better look. "Why does it look so familiar?" What he does next completely surprises me and makes my anxiety hit the roof: he lifts the top of the display open and takes out the sword. _Why do I have a feeling this is going to end with us running for out lives in some way, shape, or form?_ "That's weird…" he mutters as he holds it in his hands. "Kale, come touch this thing. It's… warm."

_Warm? What the hell does that mean, warm? Unless… Is the fucking talking sword alive?! _I suppose in a way, it would make some sense. If it talks, that means that it would be alive in some capacity. Then again, this thing is just a hunk of metal. _A hunk of metal that talks and calls me the Harbinger of some Beast of the Heavens. Probably a bad idea for someone to be touching that thing_. "You're just imagining things." I tell him as I quickly cross the small distance between us and reach for the sword, eager to get it out of his grasp and back to where it belongs. A.K.A: as far away from me as possible. I reach out with my hand to grab it-

And immediately scream in surprise as something begins surging through my body. Jumping back, I grasp my hand as my body trembles. Not in anxiety, like I'd expect it to. No, in fact, I feel… powerful. Like I've just been hit with a massive boost of energy. At the same time, I feel an overwhelming surge of rage hitting me, making me want to lash out at the nearest person, who just happens to be staring at me in shock and fear. Taking a series of deep, calming breaths, I manage to hold back my anger. As it fades, so does the feeling of power. _NEVER. TOUCHING. THAT SWORD AGAIN._ "P-put that thing away, damn it!" I hiss, backing away slowly and leaning against a bookshelf. "You shouldn't mess with things when you don't even know anything about them!" I scold Daven as he hastily places the damn blade back in its case. _God, you are a walking disaster zone, aren't you? Remind me to pray for the people who were unlucky enough to raise you. They're either in they're graves or in a mental hospital._

…_wow, my brain can be seriously dickish sometimes._

"Sorry, sorry! It's just that I swear I've seen this blade before." He takes another look at it, his brow furrowed. "Then again, maybe not. It looks smaller than the one I was thinking of." He steps back and turns to face me, holding his hands in front of him and moving them back and forth as he tries to get a precise measurement for what he's talking about. "The one I remember had a bigger blade, at least twice as big as that one's." Sighing, he lets his hands fall to his side and gives me an apologetic smile. "Alright, like I said, let's get you back to Brother Libra. He must be ready to see you by now."

* * *

The air that hung over Marco and company was thick with worry. Everyone, even Genevieve, who had barely known Kale for a day, was worried for the safety of the young swordsman. Of course, there was quite a bit of concern for the cleric of the group, Krysta, who was still recovering from her wounds. Every few minutes, she would have to stop, complaining that her chest was still hurting her. Tension was flaring within each of them, for different reasons.

"Can anyone honestly tell me why this guy was so important to you all?"

All of this tension was made worse, however, by the comments of a certain cavalier.

"Somebody really needs to shut up…" Garrett grumbled.

"Before they find out how hot fire can burn…" Myra added in. Marco just grunted in agreement.

"Honestly, I don't get it. Why are you all so hung up over this Kale guy?" he asked, leading Ally by the reigns. He'd been asking the same question for the past hour and was steadily grating on everyone nerves. "I mean he ran away in the middle of a battle for crying out loud! Come on, my captain was killed because he was stupid enough to get in the way and not a single person is going to-"

_***BAM***_

He was silenced as three fists collided with his face, belonging to Kale's three closest and oldest companions: Marco, Myra, and Garrett. "Will you shut the hell up already?!" Garrett snarled as Albert writhed in pain on the ground, clutching his nose as blood poured from it. "You don't know shit about him! He had a breakdown and ran from battle, yeah. Guess what? I've seen knights and warriors do the same thing when they were supposed to be considered the greatest in the realm. Some of them were even part of the Ylissean army, so don't think that he's the only one to freak out!"

"Kale might be a pain in the ass but he means well." Myra said, looking downcast. "Yeah, I give him a hard time and I'm still mad at him for those incidents, but that doesn't mean I hate him." She continued to stare at the ground until she felt a large hand on her shoulder. Looking up, she saw her brother standing behind her, a determined look on his face. "I hope we'll find him…" she whispered.

"We'll find him." Marco said, confidence radiating from his voice. Even though he was worried about the safety of the young man that he'd come to see as a friend, even though they'd only traveled together for a week or so, he still had faith that Kale was alright. "But first, I think we need to look at the people who need the most attention." He inclined his head towards Krysta, who had stumbled forwards only to be caught by Genevieve, who always seemed willing to lend a shoulder. "Albert, pick yourself up and suck it up. You know the lay of the land around here better than anyone else: do you know anywhere that we could get proper medical attention for Krysta?"

"What?" Krysta shouted, though it came out as more of a whisper. She shrugged off Genevieve and started walking towards the large man. "I-I don't need any special attention, alright? I-I'll be fine… just a little… rest is-" She suddenly fell forward, Marco having to dive to catch her, though a smile came across his face at her determination. _Gods help whoever gets between her and a friend._ Placing the back of his gloved hand against her forehead, his eyebrows shot up as he felt her running a temperature. _Even with the vulnerary, the wound may have gotten infected._

"She's sick, bad sick. I think we need medical help faster than I thought." he said, looking up at Albert, who had managed to stagger to his feet. "So, is there anywhere we can take her? She might die if we don't get her help quickly."

Still clutching his nose, Albert managed to nod. "Yeah… There's a monastery on the outskirts of Ylisstol. It'll take the rest of the day to reach it but the monks and clerics that live there are easily some of the best healers in the area." He pointed in the general direction of where they had to go. "It's this way. Come on, we need to get moving. When we get there, let me do the talking: Sister Anise is an old friend and she'll help us get our help. …Wait, I've got a better idea." Pulling his hand away from his face, he grabbed his horse's reigns and got on, motioning for Marco to place Krysta on the back of Alexandria, just in front of him. "We don't want to waste any time, if it is a bad infection. I can run ahead and get her there quickly. You should all make it there by the end of the day." As Krysta was placed on the saddle, a frown came over the young cavalier's face. "Look, I'm sorry about what I said but I'm not taking it back. Your friend Kale acted like a fool and a good man died because of it. Hate me if you want but I can't forgive him that easily."

Garrett just shrugged. "Not saying that you have to. Just think about maybe giving him a second chance and don't judge him based on first impressions. Just like Myra said, he's a bit of a pain in the ass at times, but he's a pretty damn decent guy."

Albert said nothing but instead whipped the reigns of Alexandria, spurring her onwards. The mare took off light a bolt of lightning, soon becoming a dwindling dot on the horizon. The rest of the group just looked on as they prepared to make the trek to the monastery.

"I have only one thing to say." Genevieve, who had been surprisingly silent the entire trip, finally spoke up. Turning to Garrett, she gave him an innocent smile. "Garrett, I believe that you made an error yesterday when you called me 'Genny'. If you would be so kind," her smile faded as, with a sudden flash of speed, she spun around and had her sword's tip at the man's throat, much to everyone's surprise, "never call me 'Genny' again. I am the Great Genevieve and I will not go by any other title. Am I understood?"

Garrett just nodded dumbly as the lady thief gave him another smile and sheathed her sword, turning around and skipping towards their destination. The remaining three members shared a look between each other, the same thought going through each of their minds:

What the hell just happened?

* * *

I wasn't quiet sure what to expect when I walked into Libra's room, but I will admit, the large amounts of bookcases didn't come as much of a surprise. The monk sat at his desk, writing something down on parchment until he finally realized that Daven and I had walked in, the former of the two of us hanging back slightly. He's wearing a simple robe rather that doesn't have the bracers that he has in combat, so I suppose this is casual attire for him. _Guess it makes sense: why wear your armor 24/7? ...actually, Kjelle might have reasons why_. "Ah, so you are awake. I'm glad." He stands up and smoothens out a few wrinkles in his robe before extending his hand towards me. "I am Libra, one of the monks that led the party that rescued you."

"Yeah, I remember that. You have my thanks." I say, reaching out for his hand when I remember something: he has a fear of being touched. _Wait, doesn't he have a serious problem trusting people too? I'm a random stranger and he's offering me his hand. Guess he's putting on the brave face for now…_ I gently take the war monk's hand and give it a light shake, noting the unease that crosses his face as our hands make contact. "My name is Kale, and, like I said, I give you my thanks. Though I have to ask: how in Naga's name did you manage to find me?"

Sitting down, Libra begins to speak. "It wasn't through our efforts that you were found. A wandering swordsman, clad in all black and-"

"Wait, was he wearing a mask that resembled a raven?" I ask, cutting off Libra. I know its rude but if it's who I'm thinking of…

"Yes, yes he was. How did- do the two of you know each other?" he asks, an eyebrow raising in confusion. In all honesty, I feel like I should be the one to be confused: first the guy saves me from being skewered by a Risen, then he lets me go to save my friends, _then_ he fights off an overpowered knight to give me and the rest of my group a chance to save our friends, and _now_ he's saved me from getting curb-stomped by a group of bandits. _Who the hell is this guy and how does he move around so fast?_ "Daven, is something the matter?" I turn my head to see the young man scrunching his eyebrows, his chin resting in the cup of his hand.

"A raven-masked swordsman… Tell me, did he wear a belt of knives across his chest?" he asks, motioning at where they would be. I nod, and I assume Libra does as well. "Then I'm right…" Turning away, I see him shake his head. "But this makes no sense… Libra, you remember the night I came here, correct?"

I turn my head to see Libra pale slightly, as if the very thought of him allowing Daven to stay is now nightmare-fuel. _Then again, having this guy living in your house would be a nightmare, wouldn't it?_ "Yes, I do, as I'm sure everyone here does. In fact, I doubt anyone would ever forget your stay here, Daven. But, why do you ask?"

"Well, you remember how I said I'd encountered a pack of Risen before I'd arrived here right?" _I thought you fell into it after falling down a hill. _"Well, I almost didn't make it." A frown creases his face as he begins to retell his battle. "I'd been doing a well enough job of holding them off when one of the bastards struck me from behind and pushed me to the ground. Before I could get a chance to recover, one of them had their axe raised above their heads and was ready to finish me, when a bolt of blue light just cuts straight through it. Before I know it, the swordsman that, I'm assuming, we're all talking about is in the middle of the pack, cutting them down left and right. It was over like that." He snaps his fingers for emphasis. "Afterwards, he helped me to my feet and pointed me in the direction of your monastery, Brother Libra."

"Something like that happened to me." I chime in. "I was heading through the forest when a Risen ambushed me from behind." I start, lying slightly. I don't want them to know about my near breakdown, at least not yet. Or ever, if that's possible. "It was ready to finish me off when a knife flies through the air and plants itself in the thing's head. Gave me the chance to finish it off myself." A slight shudder runs through my arm as I recall the feeling of the sword passing through the Risen's body. _I know its just a monster, but it felt so… human when I killed it._

"A knife like this?" Dave asks, pulling it out of one of his pockets. I nod once. "Then that settles it: whoever this masked man is, he's been following people around and aiding them."

"And he's doing a hell of a good job at it." I look back on how just yesterday, the same man cut through an entire army of Risen with just a single sword. "He tore through that Risen army yesterday and gave us enough of a chance to rescue our friends." I look up to see the two of them sharing a confused look with each other. It takes me a moment, but a wave of cold suddenly hits me as a horrible thought creeps into my mind. _What if they don't… _"B-brother Libra… are there many manors or large estates nearby?"

"There is one, belonging to the Duke of Themis, if I'm not mistaken."

_Duke of Themis… Damn, why does that name sound familiar? Doesn't matter right now. _"Then I'm afraid I have some very bad news. I think its best if we're all sitting down for this." I say, pulling out one of the chairs in front of Libra's desk.

* * *

Within the span of an hour, I've managed to give a brief summary of everything that happened back at the manor, with a bit of background as to just how I wound up there. Libra kept asking me how I'd ended up at someplace, so I'd have to explain, which led to Daven asking the same thing, and so on and so forth. Thankfully, my experience in drama class paid off once again: I'd managed to concoct a convincing enough backstory to throw them off my trail. To them, I was a traveler who'd encountered bandits in Southtown and slew one of them, leading to this series of crazy events. As I finish telling my story, ending with how I'd run from the mansion screaming like a maniac, I can feel the nervous tension in the air.

"A damn army of them…" Daven whispers.

"Naga protect us." Libra says, his eyes wide in fear. "I'll send word to her Grace, the Exalt, at once, notifying her of this… nightmare. Things could truly not be worse: Plegia is enough of a threat to the safety of our people, but for an army of the Risen to be walking around is a catastrophe in the making." He takes up his quill for a moment and jots something down before looking back up at me. "Kale, I must thank you for this information, as disturbing as it may be."

"It's not a problem." I say, shrugging my shoulders. I stand and start heading for the door. "I guess I'll start getting ready to leave then."

"Why would you leave?" I hear the monk ask.

I pause as my hand reaches for the door handle. It's a thought that's been on my mind for the entire time that I've been telling my story: when they learn of what I did, of how I reacted to what was happening around me, how will they react? "Well, I'm assuming you wouldn't want a coward and a traitor in your monastery, would you?" I give off a derisive chuckle. "I mean, that's all I really am, aren't I?" I turn around, my head lowered. "Both of you know. When it counted the most, I ran from my allies, my friends, the people who trusted me. A man is dead because of me." I shudder slightly, the image of the mage's hand sticking into Rorik's chest in my mind. "I'd just assumed that if word got out, I'd be kicked out of here faster than… well, Daven causing a disaster." This earns a chuckle from, of all people, Daven who stands up and walks towards me slightly.

"Kale, let me tell you something that my father told me about making assumptions. When you assume, you make an ass out of you and me." I look up, somewhat surprised to hear that phrase in this world. _I suppose they could have the same idea though…_ "Now, what you did definitely isn't something to be proud of, but at least you're owning up to your mistakes. You realize that you've made a bit of a mess but that doesn't make you a bad person. Trust me, if making messes makes someone a bad person, then I'm the damn Fell Dragon Grima itself." he says with a smirk.

Libra simply nods and stands before speaking. "Daven is correct, Kale. And from what you've told us, it isn't entirely your fault. This… disorder that you mentioned seems to have played a major role in this as well."

I sigh. "Yeah, yeah it did. If I'd just had my medicine-"

"That can be arranged." he says, causing me to stare at him in shock. "I know that Sister Anise can create an elixir that calms the mind and allows one to think more clearly. If you'd like, I would be glad to have her create some for you." I'm a moment from shouting how much I'd like for him to do that when the doors suddenly fly open. "Oh, Sister Anise. We were just talking about-"

"There's no time!" a young woman with her brown hair cut in a bob says breathlessly as she runs in. "Someone's just been brought in and they're in a bad way. A wound they've sustained has become infected and it seems like it's a bad one. Albert just brought her in, though I thought it was for his sake at first. His nose is broken and, well, it's Albert." She stops to take a breath, waiting anxiously for Libra to say something.

"Kale, Daven, if you would come with me, I'd appreciate it." he says, standing up and striding towards the door purposefully. "From the sound of it, this is going to be somewhat difficult to treat. The more hands I have, the better." The two of us just nod at each other before following him, though Sister Anise stops me by placing her hand on my shoulder.

"These are for you." she says, holding up a- MY CLOTHES! I quickly take my shirt and jacket and begin putting them on as I follow the other two, leaving her slightly surprised.

* * *

It only takes us a few moments to make it to the infirmary, especially with the pace that Libra was going at. I must admit, the hallways don't seem nearly as confusing as I thought they had been, especially with someone showing me the way. As we come to the door that leads to the infirmary, I frown and scrunch up my brow. _Who was it that Anise said brought in the patient? Alvin? Alex? Al-_

The door quickly opens as a young man in brown armor sticks his head outside. "Brother Libra, thank Naga for you. This girl, Krysta, she's in-" He stops as he suddenly notices me and recognition spreads across his face, at the same time it does mine. "YOU!" he shouts.

"Aw shit." is all I have to say before he leaps at me.

* * *

As he watched the people of the monastery go about their days from his perch on top of the hill he stood on, Randell of the Dunes couldn't help but smile broadly. "I'll be merciful to them: we'll attack in the morning and let them get one final night's rest. Then, the whole wretched place will burn." he said to the few men standing behind him. Turning away to head back to his camp, he noticed a small commotion coming from the tents. "What's this all about?" he called out as he approached the campsite.

One of his best men came running up to him. "Sir, we found these four passing through the area. Apparently, they were travelling with the boy." Randell nodded once and smiled. This was a perfect opportunity for him: he knew the boy had to be in the monastery and now, he had the whelp's friends. He'd force the bastard to come out and face him, otherwise he'd execute the four of them on the spot. "And sir, there's something else: we recognize who one of them is and… Just come see for yourself!" he said, the excitement plain in his voice.

Intrigued, Randell walked past the man and towards where the commotion was. Passing through the small mob of warriors that had gathered, he saw four people tied to wooden posts. His eyes scanned over them all, only to lock onto one of them in particular: a young man with angry green eyes and black hair. A wide grin came over his face as he walked up to the prisoner. "Well, if it isn't Marcellus du Plegios. Damn, can my luck get any better?"

"Perhaps…" a voice rasped from behind. "…for a price."

* * *

**_Finally managed to get this one out. A serious apology to anyone who may have been wanting the next chapter in this story to come out. Things at school are finally starting to pick up, I'm having to apply for colleges, and in general things have just been a mess as of late._**

**_...Me getting Pokemon Y and GTA V might have also played a part in this chapter's delay. MIGHT have._**

**_Anyway, I'd like to thank everyone for being patient and not getting mad or anything. Not that I actually think this story is nearly popular enough for you guys to do that, but I tend to expect the worst. Of course, I've said this before and I'll say it as many times as I feel like it: I don't care if this story is popular so long as people are enjoying reading it, and from the way the reviews are going, its doing just that. I'd like to thank everyone one more time for your support._**

**_Now, with that out of the way: I would like to thank you all for taking the time to read this story. Maybe you could leave a review, if you so choose. If you do, great, and if you don't, alright. Regardless, I hope you all have a nice day._**


	11. Chapter 11: Savage

_**I hereby dub this the chapter that I had the most trouble writing... Meh, enough with my self-pity, you're here for a story. So, here you are.**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem, only my own OC's.**_

* * *

**Chapter 11: Savage**

"Perhaps…" a voice rasped from behind. "…for a price."

Everyone present immediately tensed up, Marco especially as his eyes landed on the cloaked figure that had suddenly appeared from, as far as he could tell, absolutely nowhere. He'd been staring at their captor, every fiber of his being wanting to tear apart the man for speaking his name aloud, when the voice spoke. There was no mistaking who it was, not with a voice like that: somehow, the masked mage had appeared again. The masked swordsman's words crept through Marco's mind. _"…should you encounter him again, and I'm sure you will, don't fight him. Run. Don't even consider the idea that you can win, because there's no way you can, no matter how hard you try…" _After being warned that they would likely encounter this monster again, Marco wasn't greatly surprised by his appearance. What did greatly surprise him was his captor's reaction: his face had turned dark and angry from the mere sound of the mage's voice.

"You…" Randell hissed through gritted teeth, as his hand crept to his sword. "Just what the hell is it that _you_ want, demon?" He suddenly spun around, unsheathing his sword and aiming for the man's neck, only for it to be intercepted by a large, black gauntlet. At the same moment, a pair of red tipped arrows flew out of the forestry and struck him: one grazing his cheek and drawing blood while the other struck his sword, knocking it from his grasp. His hand immediately flew to his cheek as the men around the camp began to whisper amongst themselves, fear quickly spreading at the sight of the newest arrivals. "Damn you and your pets…" he muttered, pulling his hand away to see his palm coated red.

The mage just laughed harshly as he motioned for his knight ally to step behind him. The armored titan did so before kneeling on one knee behind to its master. "Come now, Randell. Did you truly think I would be so foolish as to not have an ally or three with me whenever I come near one of Plegia's camps? I know exactly how everyone of your people despise me." He paused to look around the camp, slowly staring down each and every man in it. "And yet, you are all too cowardly to even dare step forwards to harm me. I can tell that you are of Plegia's highest caliber." he said in a condescending tone.

One of the soldiers stepped forward, angered by the man's words. "Oh yeah?! Look whose talking, you snake! You hide behind that mask while you ruin everything that King Gangrel has been working towards! I won't stand for it!" With an enraged cry, he charged the mage, his spear reared back to deliver a killing blow.

"Wait, stop!" Randell shouted, throwing out his hand for the man to stop. It was too late: before the man could even register it, the knight had moved in front of his path. With its massive hands, it grabbed his head and lifted him off of the ground. What sounded like a deep rumble came from the suit of armor as the man screamed in pain, the sound of breaking bone barely audible as the knight slowly crushed the man's skull until-

"Myra, don't look!" Marco shouted. His sister turned her head and shut her eyes just as a sickening squish signaled the man's death. Without even a second's hesitation, the knight threw the mutilated corpse in front of the other men before going back to kneel down behind the mage. _That was… beyond sick. To make a man suffer like that, you'd have to be a real monster._

The mage looked towards the body and simply shrugged, as though it was the most trivial of things. "As I said, of the highest caliber. Which is why I come to offer my aid in your upcoming-"

"I'd sooner eat my own sword." Randell spat, kneeling down to retrieve said weapon from the ground. "You call yourself a man of Plegia, and yet you're nothing more than a Grimleal. No, I take that back: you're a nightmare of a Grimleal, sent by that damned beast itself to torment us." He leveled his sword at the mage, his eyes narrowing. The knight made a movement to defend its ally, only to stop as the mage gave a quick flick of its hand. "Now, get out of my camp and away from my men. We won't be requiring any of your help."

"Very well." The mage turns to leave, walking towards the parting crowd of bandits, and stops as he's on the very edge of the crowd. "However, I deeply hope that nothing will go wrong with your plan. The destruction of Ylisse is of the utmost importance to our cause, as I'm sure you know." With that, he snaps his fingers, causing him and his ally to become enveloped in shadows before vanishing completely.

"Grimleal bastard…" Randell muttered. A sad look crossed over his face as he looked to the dead man lying on the ground of the camp. "Someone dig a grave for him. Make sure you do all the rites, got it?" A small group of men immediately snap into action, some of them running over to grab their fallen comrade and others to grab tools to dig the man's grave. "As for you four…" Randell said, turning on his heel to face the captives. "I want the four of you to know this: you're my hostages, plain and simple. You'll be given no quarter and if I deem it necessary, I'll have you executed on the spot. Especially you," he said, pointing at Marco who merely glares back, ", you damn traitor."

"Whoa wait, what?" Garrett suddenly spoke up, looking between Marco and their captor. "Marco, how the hell does this guy know you and why is he calling you a traitor? Is there something that you and Myra haven't been telling us or something?"

Randell merely shook his head and shrugged. "I would love to spoil the surprise for you all, but I think it'd be best for the traitor to reveal the secret himself. I'll leave the four of you to talk." With that, he turned and walked away, leaving the four of them together with a thick tension in the air.

"I suppose," Marco sighed, "that I need to tell you about where Myra and I hail from, don't I?"

* * *

"Please _(bam)_ stop _(bam) _kicking _(bam) _me _(bam)_ Kale!"

_Alright, fine._ Panting, I take a step back from the prone figure of… _what was his name…_ _oh, Albert. Yeah, the idiot cavalier who decided to charge out of the front door of a mansion that was under siege._ Apparently, he really sucks at doing his job at fighting. After he jumped me, or at least, jumped at me, all it took for me to get him off of me was a quick shove. The kicks, while probably unnecessary, felt good however. _Albert, the moral of this story is simple: try and jump me and I'll kick the ever-loving shit out of you._ "The hell was that for?!" I snap at him as he struggles to his feet. "You think it's a good idea to just jump someone for no good reason? What the hell's your problem?"

"Y-you…" he mutters faintly. " …because of y-you, C-Commander Rorik d-died…" He's now on his feet and brings a hand to his mouth, feeling the small trickle of blood that I may or may not have caused with one of my kicks. What can I say, I fight to win. "He sacrificed himself to save you, as a knight in the service of the Halidom of Ylisse and her Grace, the Exalt, and you run like a coward!" He suddenly lunges for me- seriously, we're doing this again? I just step to the side and try to suppress a laugh as he crashes back to the ground, mumbling something that sounds like "Again?!"

Ignoring him and the stares of the clearly confused Libra and Daven, I quickly stride through the door leading to the infirmary. _Wow, even in Fire Emblem these places smell like antiseptic. Even in alternate dimensions, I suppose some things stay the same._ There are a few rows of beds with white sheets, though the majority of them are empty, but a familiar mess of red hair catches my eye. _Krysta!_ I quickly rush over to her and place the back of my hand to her forehead. _She's burning up… God, are there any antibiotics or anything in this world?_ "Libra, get in here!" I shout over my shoulder, though it wasn't necessary: the monk was right behind me. "I don't care what it takes, but you have to help her. She's my friend, so please… please, just save her."

He surprisingly places his hand on my shoulder and nods. "I promise to do everything within my power in order to help her Kale, but right now, you need to go back to your room and rest." He holds up a hand as I open my mouth to protest. "While your help could be valuable, you're clearly in distress. In your state, you'd likely cause more harm for her than good. Please, for her sake and yours, go and rest."

…_he's right. If I start acting panicky, I'll just hurt her._ I nod, though I can't hide the pain on my face. I've always been this way, unable to just sit back and let my friends get hurt or stay sick. I've always been the first one to send the 'get better soon' cards and I've lost count of how many times my friends have gotten mad at me for 'acting like their mom.' I guess the same applies to this world, even if I've only known Krysta for… what, a week? Maybe fighting together really does forge stronger bonds. "I understand. I sure as hell don't like it, but I understand. Just… just make sure she gets taken care of, alright?" I don't even bother waiting for his response, because I know he'll do everything he can to save her. Exiting the infirmary, I see Albert's gotten back up and- what the fuck dude, stop trying to tackle m- oh, thanks Daven. "Daven, can you please keep him as far away from me as possible for the time being? I've got a lot on my mind right now and I don't care to keep getting attacked."

"Hey, no problem." he says, tightening his grip around Albert's waist as the idiot tries to break free. _Take a fucking chill pill… Good Lord…_ "Alright, either you quit this or I'm going to throw you off the nearest balcony, got it?" Daven snaps as his captive kicks his shin.

"Just tell me this: why?" Albert asks, though it almost sounds like he's demanding me to answer. He locks eyes with me as he stops thrashing about. "Why did Commander Rorik bother saving you? Why do your friends care so much about finding you? What the hell makes you so special?! You're a damned coward, running from-"

**_*BAM*_**

"Just shut the hell up…" I mutter, rubbing my knuckles from where I punched him in the jaw. I feel bad about it, to be honest, considering I've kicked him repeatedly already but… Fuck it, I'm just sick of him running his mouth. "You think I don't know I'm a coward? You think I'm happy with myself for running away? For being the reason that Rorik is dead?" I'm shaking at this point, though I can't honestly say whether it's from anger or sadness. Before he has a chance to reply, I whirl around and sprint away, not bothering to listen to Daven crying for me to come back.

* * *

"Hey, Dune Guy!" a voice cried out over the tents. Randell, having just finished his dinner, stood from the circle where several of his men had been preparing for the morning's attack with him. Frowning, and slightly worried that the cries might alert someone, he quickly made his way over to where the prisoners were being held. One of them, the large man in the red armor who had been carrying an axe, was thrashing against his bonds, though he stopped as he spotted Randell. "Yeah, you! Hey, get over here! I've got a proposition for ya!"

The swordsman quickly took in the situation, his eyes catching the small details of each of the captives: the young girl with the white hair was crying, her eyes closed as small sobs escaped her mouth, the girl in the bodysuit was glaring at their companion with contempt, and Marcellus du Plegios was hanging his head, his eyes closed. Something was clearly off and he was curious as to what it was. "A proposition? Do you really think that you're in any sort of position to be offering _me_ a proposition?" He motioned at the other three with his hand. "And what's wrong with them? They look like you just killed someone close to them."

"No, but that would be a mercy considering what his vile proposition is." the girl in the bodysuit spat, turning her gaze from the man.

"Aw, shut you're mouth." he snapped, craning his neck to look at her. "I'm doing what any smart man would do in my position, especially after he's just found out that the two people he's been travelling with have been keeping such a big secret from him. You're an idiot for actually wanting to stay with these two after what they told us!" Looking back towards Randell, he gave him a thin smile. "You see, I'm wanting in."

The Plegian merely cocked an eyebrow. "You want in? Ha. Do you actually expect me to believe you'd betray your friends, your allies, so easily?" He quickly shook his head from side-to-side. "You must think I was born yesterday. What kind of man would sever ties with his companions?"

Garrett just laughed. "Try a man who's had it done to him before. I used to run with a bandit gang here in Ylisse until they decided to dump me outside a village and let the yokels living there try and gut me. I ran with them for years and they just stabbed me in the back like _that!_" He kicked the post with one of his feet for emphasis, anger boiling up in his eyes. "All I could think about while those hicks were getting ready to string me up was getting revenge. And then these two came along with their friend." He gestured at Marco and Myra with his chin. "This idiot gave me a chance to get my revenge and I took it. Gods, did it feel good, but a man who's lived a life of violence tends to want to go back to being violent, ya know?"

"And this matters to me _how?_"

"Easy, easy, I'm getting there. Look, the reason I managed to stay with those guys for so long is because I was one of, if not _the_, deadliest man in that entire group." He sneered. "They started calling me 'Garrett the Savage' for a reason. You let me go, and I promise on my life that I'll show you just what that reason is." He let out a bitter chuckle and looked at the ground. "Hell, its not like I have any reason _not _to join up with you and your lot." He let out a sigh as he looked up. "So, can I count myself in?"

There was a tense silence as everyone waited for Randell's answer. Finally, he spoke.

"Certainly. However, before you can join me, I require a favor from you." Drawing his sword, he quickly cut the bonds the held the man. Looking him in the eye, he pointed his sword at Marco. "Beat him. Brutally, but do not kill him. At least, not yet."

Garrett just grinned and cracked his knuckles as he turned and advanced towards his old ally. "With pleasure." Without warning, he suddenly buried his fist in Marco's stomach, causing him to double over in pain, only for his head to shoot up as Garrett's knee struck him in the face. Myra screamed for him to stop, tears running down her face, and Genevieve just looked away, closing her eyes and flinching at the sound of every blow. After a few moments, Garrett stopped his assault and grabbed Marco by the chin, bringing his face close to his. "This is what you get for being a lying bastard!" With a savage yell, he slammed Marco's head back into the wooden post. There was a loud crack and the man crumpled, only being held up by the ropes binding him. Laughing darkly, he turned to face Randell. "So, what'd you think?"

Randell grinned cruelly. "I think you've truly earned the title of 'Savage.' Welcome to my army, Garrett the Savage."

* * *

…How am I in the library? I was just running away from Albert and, all of a sudden, I'm in the center of an aisle with bookcases all around me. _It was that sword, wasn't it? It called me here again, trying to get me to accept the whole 'Harbinger' thing, isn't it?_ A sudden burst of anger tears through my body and before I know it, my fist makes contact with the nearest bookcase. Much to my displeasure… "Son of a- Why did I think that would have been a good idea?" I say, rubbing my stinging knuckles. _Alright, enough of being stupid and punching shelves, time to get out of here. …and where is out of here?_ I sigh as I just resign myself to start wandering around the shelves, looking for an exit.

_Well, this royally sucks. Stuck in a library that I have no idea how to get out of… And there's a sentient sword who's trying to get me to be the Harbinger of something or someone called Arashi in here… When did the world decide to turn on me? Then again, has it ever really been on my side? I can't exactly deny the fact that my life wasn't amazing back home and its not like anything's improved since I've arrived here. Which begs the question as to why I'm here in the first place. I mean, I got injured somehow and now I'm in some hospital in critical condition, right? Or… maybe that's all a dream too… Me being in this world and in my own world at the same time, it could all just be a dream, right? Maybe I just stayed up too late playing the game while watching TV and when I finally passed out, my brain decided to conjure up this whole fantasy of a dream._

…_No, I doubt that's it. All of this is way too real to just be a dream, but what does that mean then? Am I seriously, without a doubt, in another dimension, another universe? Course, this could also be Hell, all things considered… Though somehow, I expect Hell to be a lot hotter than this place. And not a place where characters from a game exist._

_Then again, I'm sure I'll find out someday. Let's face it, with the blood I've spilt here, I'm pretty sure I've earned a one-way ticket to eternal damnation._

_But… I was fighting in self-defense, wasn't I? Besides, soldiers do the same thing all the time, and they're, mostly, all considered heroes for it._

…_And they all have PTSD to show for what they did… and you have those people who constantly rip on them, calling them cold-blooded killers and- you know what?_

_Fuck my brain._ I sigh as I realize that, while completely lost in my thoughts, I've gotten no further to finding an exit. In fact, I actually realize where I am: back in the small area with the display case. _…fuck my life. And my existence._ I stand tall and as firm as I can, ready for the sword in the case to start talking to me. A minute passes.

And then another.

And another.

_It's not going to talk for once? …Maybe things aren't so bad after all._ Sighing in slight satisfaction, I turn to look out of one of the massive windows that line the library walls, admiring the light of the moon. A smile actually manages to cross my face as I look up at the night's sky. _Damn, didn't realize it was already getting so late. Ah well, it doesn't matter too much. And you know what, even with all this crazy stuff happening, at least the moon and the stars still look as beautiful as ever. _I let out a light chuckle as I see something strange on the moon. _Well, I guess the moon here is a bit different: I don't remember a black line crossing over i- wait, that's-_

"_Smoke."_

I actually managed to see the tops of the bookcases, I jumped so high out of fright. Turning around, and with a hand on my chest as my heart attempts to escape my body, I face the display case and the sword, which is shining in the light of the moon. "Smoke? Wha- why's there smoke rising up out there?" I shake my head. "Wait, why is that cause for concern? I'm sure its just someone camping or something like that. A simple traveler settling down for the night." I chuckle nervously, trying to buy my own idea. For some reason, it doesn't seem right.

"_If that was the case, then why did they not seek shelter at this monastery? The smoke appears to be quite close to this location and the monastery itself is not a small landmark. Tell me Harbinger: what is the more likely reason for someone to be camping out in the cold night's air when a warm bed is so close by?"_

You know you have bad logic when a sword shoots holes through it. "Okay, that's not a bad point. The only reason someone wouldn't come here is if…" My jaw opens wide as I hear a voice ringing in my head. _"This isn't the last you've seen of me, boy! You will regret the day you ever crossed me!"_ Randell's voice rings clearly through my mind as my blood suddenly starts to run cold. "There- there's no way that he followed me… all the way here. Is there?"

The sword chuckles. _"You tell me the answer. After all, I don't know of who you speak of, only that you clearly worry that they've followed you and most likely wish to seek some form of vengeance. Correct?"_ I just nod once and the sword chuckles again. _"Quite the unfortunate situation you find yourself in. This man, Randell of the Dunes, has quite the sizable force on his side. Even if you were to run and try to escape, the men and women here would be crushed by his onslaught. Of course, the very same will still happen if you stay. But then, what of your friend Krysta? What will happen to her?"_

I pause, taking what he's just said into consideration. "How do you know about Randell and Krysta? I've never mentioned them to you. Hell, we talked once, and that was mostly me trying to buy time until someone could find me and get me as far away from you as possible." A sudden jolt of fire shoots up my right hand, though its not very painful, only enough for me to grab it in shock. "What was that?!" I scream.

"_That was me reminding you of our bond. Come now, Harbinger, surely you haven't forgotten our first meeting? After all, it occurred only a bit earlier today. Don't you remember the surge of power you felt when you touched this blade?" _I nod nervously. _"From the moment we came into direct contact, our pact was sealed. I am bound to you for eternity. We are a part of the same entity, fighting together to achieve our goals. What you know, I know. And my, what you know… what you know…"_ A cold knot forms in my gut as the realization of what its saying hits me. _It knows that I'm- "From another world? …Yes, I am aware of this thought that runs through your head, though I highly doubt the actuality of this possibility. But, thanks to our bond, I know who it is who is chasing you and I have an idea as to what their plan may be. My guess is that they shall strike at dawn, sending down their forces to crush this place and have you dragged out before their leader before he executes you."_

"Then I've got to warn everyone!" I shout, my eyes wide and my voice frantic. "I've got to rally everyone and either get them ready to escape or attack. If we move now, we can survive! We can- oh God… Krysta wouldn't survive the trip, would she?" I stumble back onto a bookcase and slide down it, feeling completely defeated. "It's over then… All of these people are going to die because of me…"

"_Are they?" _it asks. I look up to see it glimmering slightly. _"Did I not say before that you would seek me out for your own want and need? Do you not want to save these people? Do you not __**need**__ the power that I may grant you?" _I stare at the blade as I realize, deep down in my heart, that its right: I need to use it if I want to save these people. I don't know what power it could give me, but if its enough to drive off Randell and his army… Wouldn't it be worth it?

Slowly, I rise to my feet and walk over to the display. With a good degree of care, I remove the top of the case and reach inside, my body lighting up like fire as my skin makes contact with the weapon. Pulling it out, I hold it out in front of me.

"Tell me what I need to do. Tell me how to save these people."

* * *

Randell smiled as the first rays of the dawn sun crept over the horizon. Standing from his resting place, he rolled his shoulders, popping the stiff joints. "Today's the day, brother… Today, the conquest and destruction of Ylisse truly begins." he whispered to himself. Grabbing his sword from the ground, he strode towards where the man known as the Savage, Garrett, had been placed. It was next to the prisoners, not that it concerned Randell: he'd appointed guards to watch the man's movements at all times. As he came closer to the spot where the prisoners were held, he strained his ears as the slightest hints of conversation became apparent. Hiding behind a tent, he saw Garrett talking to one of the prisoners, the girl with the white hair.

"Myra, listen…" Garrett said smoothly. "All of this is just business, ya know? You've got to do what's best for number one if you want to survive in this world. Now, I've got an issue with your brother to be sure. I hate it when someone betrays my trust. Really cuts deep, right in here." He placed his hand over his heart and made a pained expression. "But you… you, Myra, didn't do anything to me. You were just doing what big brother told you to, right? Now, what kinda man would I be for holding it against a girl who was just listening to her family? I can forgive you, if you promise to do me one small… favor…" Slowly, he leant in so that his mouth was next to her ear and whispered something that Randell couldn't make out, though from the girl's expression, he had an idea of what it was.

"Go to hell!" she screamed, head-butting him hard enough to make him stumble backwards.

"Little bitch!" he growled as he reared his fist back. With a shout, he brought it towards her head as she screamed, all anger being replaced with fear. There was a dull thud as his fist struck the pole just above her head. "Be glad that I don't like killing women. Though I promise you that, after today, you'll be singin' a different tune." With that, he backed away and started to walk towards camp. Randell stood from where he was crouching, catching the man's attention. "Oh, hey boss…" he said nervously. "I… guess you heard some of that, huh?"

Randell nodded. "A good bit, yes, though I can't really blame you. She is certainly a fine young lady, if not for her temper. Tell you what," he started, bumping his fist on Garrett's chestplate, "if you really show your stuff today, I'll let you have her." At seeing the man's expression brighten a bit, he held up a finger. "But only after the fighting is over. I believe we went over the plan last night, didn't we?"

Garrett smiled wide. "Yes sir. You want me and a group of your men to hang back until you give the signal and then charge down the hills and into the bastards down there." He punched his palm with his fist. "I'm really going to enjoy this, let me tell you."

Randell let out a cold laugh. "You know what? I'm liking my decision to keep you around more and more. I suppose that all Ylisseans aren't miserable whelps. Now, if you'll excuse me," he stepped past the bandit, who gave him a quick salute as he passed, "I've got a country to burn to the ground."

* * *

Daven woke with a start, a reoccurring nightmare having surfaced again in the middle of the night. A whirlwind of blood, screams, and monsters that wouldn't leave him alone. His hand instinctively went to his neck, to the charm that he'd been given as a child to protect him. _Father, I know you still watch over me, no matter where you've gone. I will continue to live on to honor your name._ Standing up and stretching slightly, he frowned as he saw Kale's bed was not only empty, but appeared to have been completely undisturbed, as if it hadn't been slept in at all. "Huh, wonder where he wandered off to… Probably got lost somewhere in the monastery. Gods know it happened to me enough my first couple of days here." Walking over to the window, he looked out it in hopes to see the beautiful morning sun.

Instead, he saw a sight that chilled his blood: an army had formed on the hill leading down the monastery and was slowly marching towards it, being led by a single figure. He took a step back, ready to run and get Brother Libra and warn him of the threat, when he saw another sight that shocked him: someone was going out to meet them, alone. Even from the distance, Daven could still tell who it was.

"Kale!?"

* * *

_Calm breaths… in and out… focus on the task ahead… erase all doubts from my mind…_ I slowly repeat these steps in my head as I walk out across the field towards the approaching mass of Plegians with nothing but a talking sword in my hand. Of course, if what the sword said was true, it might be all I need to protect these people.

"_Call upon the great Arashi as you draw this blade from its sheath and the power to smite your foes shall be yours."_

That's what it had told me last night as I asked it how I was going to defeat Randell and his forces. I had my doubts, but at the same time, I felt a part of me that believed in what it had told me. Just holding the sword filled me with confidence and I could feel power flowing through my body, like I was hooked up to an electric current or something. _I can do this. I can protect these people._

I come to a stop at a point that's about halfway between the monastery and the army. _None of them get past me. Not on my life._ "So, the whelp decides to come out and play." I hear a high pitched, nasally voice call out over the field as Randell steps into view. "I hope you weren't thinking that surrendering would save those people in there, because that isn't happening. They die with you, today." He smirked as he drew his blade. "Of course, how quickly they die _could_ depend on if you surrender. I may make it quick and painless if you let me end your life here and now."

I sneer. "Yeah, because I want people to know someone with a voice like you was responsible for killing me." A large smile crosses my face as his turns red as a tomato. "But yeah, this whole 'destroying the monastery' thing? It isn't happening."

"And who's going to stop me?! You, by yourself?! Don't make me laugh!"

I'm the one who actually laughs, though I'm not quite sure why. "Actually, yes and no. Yes, I'm going to be the one who stops you, but not alone." Gripping the sheath of the blade tightly, I hold it horizontally in front of me, grabbing the hilt with my right hand. "In the name of Arashi, I will crush you!" I scream as I pull the blade from its scabbard.

The last few things I remember before the world goes black are the sounds of something roaring and someone screaming my name.

* * *

**_Right, so I mentioned above about how this chapter gave me the most trouble to write, right? I rewrote this chapter more times than I care to count, simply because I'd keep having new ideas that either fell flat on their faces or screwed up something I'd already done. Plus, it didn't help that my keyboard and mouse are both cutting out on me right now..._**

**_Oh well, I guess I was due for a chapter that would give me trouble. And its not like it was anything too bad, so why the hell am I complaining?_**

**_So COMPLETELY ignoring all of that, I'd really like to thank you all. This story, that I pretty much started on a whim, has hit over 3,000 views. 3,000. I don't know if that's a whole lot or hardly any views at all, but screw it, I could care less. I know I've said this before, but I'll say it as many times as I want (this is MY story after all): thank each and every one of you who have come and read this story. I want to give out an even bigger thanks to those who've left a review, even if it wasn't something major: you guys help me get this stuff done. You guys (and possibly girls) are all awesome. Thank you. Thank you, so very much._**

**_Okay, enough of this sappy stuff, because that isn't what y'all care about, I'm sure. Before I end this off, I want to say one thing: to those of you who've been wanting Kale and the others to meet up with the Shepherds, it's going to happen and soon. Although, that does raise a question: do Kale and his merry little band join up with Chrom and the rest and become Shepherds themselves or should they do something else?_**

**_...Any input into this? It'd be nice..._**

**_Alright, that's all I've got to say. Well, that's a lie, because I still have a bit more to say. Again, thank all of you who have taken the time to come and read this story, because it really means a lot to me. Maybe, if you'd be so kind, you could leave a review... Just saying. Regardless of whether you do or do not, I hope you all have a nice- no, a wonderful day._**


	12. Chapter 12: My Choice, My Reason

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem, yada yada, let's just get on with the story! YOU KNOW THE DRILL!**_

* * *

**Chapter 12: My Choice, My Reason**

"We're under attack!" Daven screamed as he raced down towards the entrance. "Everyone, we're under attack! Get ready for battle!" He ignored the looks that several of the men and women of the monastery were giving him, knowing that if he slowed down to try and explain what was going on, they wouldn't have time. "Arm up and meet me out fron- oof!" He stopped and nearly tripped over himself as a figure clad in brown suddenly ran in front of his path, the butt of his spear sticking him in his stomach. "Ah, gods… Albert, what are you doing?" he asked, rubbing the spot where a bruise was surely forming.

The young cavalier stopped in his tracks and brought his lance to his side. "I would be asking you the same thing, since you're running through these halls shouting like a madman, but then I've already seen the problem." He shook his head and rubbed one of his temples. "Just… how? How did so many Plegians manage to get on Ylissean soil? I mean, the border guard should have alerted us to something like this!" He clutched his weapon tightly and looked down at the ground. "They outnumber us way too much. If we don't think of something fast, we'll all get crushed." Frowning, he looked up and looked past Daven. "Hey, where's Kale at? Isn't he rooming with you?"

Daven crossed his arms and frowned at the cavalier. "Why do you care? Want to try tackling him some more? Or did you just miss getting kicked repeatedly in the stomach?"

Albert winced and grabbed at his midsection. A large bruise covered the majority of it, a result of being kicked in the same place. If he had to give Kale credit for anything, it was that he could give one hell of a kick. "No, it's just… Look, I don't have time to explain why I acted the way I did towards Kale, alright? Just know that I don't hate him… Okay, I don't hate him _completely_. That's why I wanted to know where he's at, to tell him that."

Daven pushed past Albert and motioned towards the front doors. "Then I hope you're well and prepared for battle; I saw Kale heading out to face the enemy. Alone." The cavalier's eyes widened in shock at the news. "Yeah. So, let's get moving!" Albert nodded and ran alongside Daven, ready to face the oncoming enemy and, possibly, save Kale.

Though, Albert may or may not have been considering that as a side goal.

Regardless, the two of them burst through the doors leading outside, Albert quickly placing two fingers and his mouth and whistling for Alexandria. A whinny was heard, followed quickly by the sound of hooves hitting hard ground, and within moments Albert was sitting atop his faithful steed and companion, leading the charge towards the enemy with Daven trailing behind the two of them. Looking behind him, he saw a small group of monks, headed by Brother Libra, charging out from within the monastery. A grim yet determined look came over his face as he looked back at the approaching Plegian force, who had stopped just short of-

"What is he doing?" Albert muttered as they watched Kale addressing the enemy force.

"In the name of Arashi, I will crush you!" Kale shouted, pulling a sword from its sheath. A blinding white light enveloped him, forcing Albert to shield his eyes.

"Kale!" Daven and, surprisingly, Albert both cried. Albert heard the sound of footsteps to his side, followed by labored breathing, and realized that Daven had caught up with him. "Oh gods…" he muttered, shielding his eyes from the light. Slowly, it began to fade, revealing Kale to be standing in front of them completely unharmed and appeared to seemingly be normal. The sword he wielded, however, was anything but normal: its dull gray blade was stained with patches of dark red along the length of it, the blade itself looking more akin to a butcher's knife than a sword. The hilt was covered in bandages that wrapped around Kale's right hand and trailed along the ground. Hearing his name, Kale twisted his head around to look at the two of them, his eyes making their blood go cold. They were devoid of any emotion and appeared to lack life itself. "K-Kale?" Daven took a step towards the young swordsman, only for Albert to place the shaft of his spear in front of him.

"Wait, something's off here." Daven rolled his eyes at how obvious the statement was but he made no comment.

The man leading the Plegian force stepped forwards, still slightly stunned by the blinding light that had appeared only moments beforehand. Looking at Kale, he sneered. "Well, that was some parlor trick, boy, but I'm afraid it will do you no good." he stated in a somewhat high-pitched voice. "We still outnumber you, 900-to-1. Give up now, and we'll make sure to end the lives of everyone else in that monastery relatively quickly." Kale said nothing, but instead directed his lifeless gaze towards the man, who unconsciously took a few steps back. "Fine then: men, atta-" He was cut off as a feral growl tore from Kale's throat as the young man launched himself forwards, crossing the distance between himself and the army surprisingly quickly.

"Kale, no!" Daven cried, reaching out towards him as a group of Plegians ran in front of their leader, cutting off Kale's path. "Albert, come on!" The cavalier nodded slowly as he readied his spear. With a war cry, the two of them charged at the enemy, only to stop as they saw Kale begin his attack.

To say it was vicious and brutal would be an understatement. Lifting the large blade like it weighed nothing, Kale cut straight through the line of defenders, their blood staining the blade together with the red patches. A man attempted to stab Kale with his spear from behind, only to have his arms lopped off before the tip of the weapon was run straight through his chest. Another man screamed in agony and dropped his axe as his stomach fell onto the ground in front of him, and yet another man was unable to even make a sound as Kale brought the blade down on his head, cutting deeply into it. As the last of the defenders fell to his blade, Kale stopped and looked around, his eyes still devoid of any emotion. At this point, the monks from the monastery had caught up with Daven and Albert. Several of them were uttering quiet prayers at the very sight while others forced themselves to keep from looking away. A cold laugh erupted from Kale, surprising everyone, though what he said next made everyone, even the Plegians, flinch.

"So, this is what true power feels like… The ability to crush any who oppose me, without any fear or worry of death… I could create an entirely new world with this blade, one devoid of people who would harm me… In fact, that's a wonderful idea. Once I'm done here, what's stopping me from going out and making the world one where I have no fear? Yes, I like that idea, I like it quite a bit." He hefted the blade onto his shoulder and looked towards the Plegians. "Now, who's the next person on the chopping block?" Before any of them could react, he threw himself forwards.

Daven and Albert shared a quick look before throwing themselves into the maelstrom caused by their ally, though this time, it wasn't to save him from the Plegians.

They were going to do everything in their power to save him from that blade.

* * *

"Oh, my head…" I mutter as I get up from the ground, the soft grass making for a surprisingly comfortable bed. For some reason, my head feels like its been split open with an axe, a possibility which I quickly dismiss after running my hand through my hair. You can't really be too careful in a world like this. "Now, what happened to the enemy… The last thing I remember is Randell coming out to face me… I drew the talking sword, called out for Arashi and whatever power its supposed to grant me, and now…" I snap my fingers as I realize that's the most likely reason that I blacked out. Looking around, I notice that the ground is littered with various weapons and pieces of armor. _Did I do all this? Whoa, that Arashi guy actually did give me a serious power boost. But, why can't I remember any of it? Then again, does it really matter? If I won, then I won._ I shrug and prepare to turn back to the monastery when I spot the sword that I'd taken out into battle lying on the ground, still in its sheath. "Might as well bring it back…" I mutter to myself, kneeling down to pick it up before turning around and-

And the monastery no longer exists. I feel my eyes expand to the size of dinner plates at the ruins of the monastery. Entire chunks of stone have been torn from the walls and small fires are still burning. I can smell what smells like burnt meat, making me really thankful that I skipped last night's dinner and breakfast this morning. "What the hell happened? I-I thought I'd protected it! Why-why is it destroyed?!" I shout. My voice echoes around me, causing me to realize the truly strange thing about this place: there's no sound. I tap the sheathed blade against the earth and jump as I hear the thud it makes echo. "Something's seriously off here…" I mutter to myself.

"No shit, Sherlock!"

_Wait, who said- there! _My heart skips a beat as I see a figure standing in front of the doors leading to the monastery ruins, his figure- at least, it looks a lot like a guy- silhouetted by the fires. "Hey, who are-" The moment I open my mouth, he turns around and charges straight into the fire. I blink in surprise before running after him. I don't plan on losing my only lead as to what's happening around here. I run through the doors of the monastery, shielding my face from the flames…

And now it's raining.

…What?

I open my eyes and, instead of seeing a burning monastery, a mountain covered in storm clouds sits before my eyes.

…Again: what?

_If I turn around…_ I twist my head to look at where the- oh, what do you know, the doors aren't there anymore. _…Alright, where's the sign that says 'Welcome to Mind-Fuck City'? Because that would be seriously appropriate right now!_ Uneasily, I look back towards the mountain, when a brief flash of lightning illuminates a figure standing at the edge of a small cliff. Halfway up the mountain. _Because, of course, it __**had**__ to be halfway up a mountain. One does not simply… That quote doesn't quite apply here, I suppose. Damn, I've never had a chance to use it…_ Sighing, my eyes fall to the ground, landing on a step that's been cut into the rock. I let my eyes travel up the steps and my heart sinks as I realize I've got a lot of climbing in my immediate future. "I'm going to be dead by the time this is over, aren't I?" I murmur before, quite literally, taking the first step.

I can't help but let out a bitter chuckle as I see a sign appear with the next flash of lighting on the side of the path proudly declaring: 'Welcome to Mind-Fuck City.'

* * *

The battle of the monastery was not going well for either the Plegians or the defenders. After their initial shock at how Kale had acted, the monks that had taken up arms to defend their home had charged, only to find out that the young man saw everyone as an enemy. His blade soared through the air, shedding the blood of anyone that he came close to, though now he was seemingly in a deadlock as both Albert and Daven fought him, Albert having sent Ally away after nearly losing her to one of the weapon's attacks. "Kale, what are you doing?!" Daven screamed as he locked blades with him, his face inches from Kale's. "This isn't you, I know it isn't! This sword, it's changed you somehow!"

"You're right, it has!" Kale laughed emotionlessly. "It's made more powerful! It's given me the power to ensure my life! I won't die by anyone's hands!" He screamed before shoving his opponent forward, throwing him off balance. Taking the opportunity, he raised his blade and brought it down, ready to cleave his enemy in half, when a spear butted him in the side, causing his attack to only graze Daven's chest, the sound of metal scraping metal slightly as something fell from around his neck. Turning his head, his dark eyes locked on Albert who gritted his teeth as he prepared for Kale's next attack. Instead, he just turned his head and frowned. "Why did you not try to kill me?" he asked. "Don't you hate me for what I did? For causing the death of your mentor?"

"I… I…" Albert faltered for a moment, his gaze lowering. With a growl, he looked back up, locking his eyes with Kale's. "Shut up, just shut up! That's not what this is about, damn it! I'm here to try and get that damned sword out of your hands!" With that, he launched himself forwards, aiming the point of his spear so that it would strike the blade of Kale's sword. Kale simply spun around and slashed, his attack blocked by Daven's own sword. Settling into stances beside each other, the two of them shared an uneasy glance as the same thought ran through their minds:

_How do we stop him without killing him?_

* * *

"Damn it all!" Randell growled as he backed away from the massacre that was taking place. He was at a complete loss as to what he should do: where was the boy that he'd been hunting for so long. Looking around, he grimaced as he realized that any of the men that he sent in after the boy would be massacred, just adding to the red stains on the blade he wielded. "Men, don't get near the whelp! Focus on the monks, and once their dead, we can decide on what to do with the boy!" he commanded. His men all gave out battle-cries, signaling that they'd gotten his message. Turning to his rear-guard, he cupped his hands and gave them an order that he'd planned on holding off on giving.

"Signal the reinforcements! Have them take the monastery now!"

* * *

Garrett watched as a small plume of smoke rose up over the horizon, his face indifferent as he ran a stone over the blade of his axe. _So, the boss-man's giving the attack order, eh? Well, time to get moving._ Standing up, he gripped his axe tightly and moved over to where the force of men he'd been placed in charge of, numbering about fifty in total, were awaiting their orders. "Alright, all of you, get off of your asses and stand at attention!" he barked. They all immediately obeyed, readying their equipment. "Randell just sent up the signal, meaning one of two things: A) He's ready for us to swarm the monastery or B) The battle's turned against him. And while I hate to admit it, with how little time has passed, I think it may be the second option." He waited for the nervous murmurs to die down before speaking up again. "Now, I don't know what could be causing this, but I know one thing: he's counting on us to go down this hill and take that monastery! If you're a proud warrior, raise your weapon high into the air and give me your best war cry!" A smirk came over his face as all of his men did just that, though it quickly changed into a frown. "Although, it's just occurred to me that we can't just leave the prisoners behind… Now that I think about it, when I was with these idiots, we sent two of our own ahead because one of them was sick. Now, how many of you would rather deal with one weak, feeble girl who probably can't even leave her bed right now instead of three capable fighters?" A general muttering of agreement reached his ears, making him smile widely. "Well, then it sounds like we don't have much of a use for those three, now do we?" He snapped his fingers and pointed in the direction of where Marco, Myra, and Genevieve were all being kept. "Grab them and bring them here! Men, time to show you all just how savage I can be!"

Another cry tore through the air as a group of his men ran to fetch the prisoners. Within moments, they were all brought before him, Genevieve and Myra struggling against there bonds while Marco simply stared daggers at the man he'd once called friend. "Garrett, you bastard… What the hell do you think you're doing?" Myra screamed.

Garrett rolled his neck, popping a few bones. "Oh, nothing much… Just going to get the men's blood pumping before the attack. Tell me, have you ever witnessed an execution before?" As Myra's face began to pale, he let out a laugh. "Guess this one hasn't! Well, then we'll make sure she knows what one's like before it comes time for hers." He gestured at two of his men with his hand. "Take those two bitches over there." he ordered, thumbing at a small area behind him. While they did that, he pointed at another man. "You're going to be the one that holds them down while I make the cut, got it? I don't want anything to go wrong with this." The man nodded and pressed his boot against Marco's back, who growled as his head was slowly forced towards the ground.

"Why are you doing this?" he demanded. "Garrett, why can't you understand why I lied? If I had told you that both my sister and I were from Plegia, you would have-"

"Oh, shut up!" Garrett said, rolling his eyes. "You don't know shit about how I would've reacted. For all you know, I wouldn't have cared one bit, but if there's one thing in this world that I can't stand, it's a traitor." He gave a bitter chuckle as though some sick joke had just hit him. "Then again, I suppose that means I can't stand myself… Ah well, never was one for self-esteem." Hoisting his axe over his shoulder, he looked back towards where both of the girls were being held. "Now, you two little ladies just sit tight and enjoy the show, alright? It'll be your turns soon enough."

"In Naga's name, I beg you to stop this madness!" Genevieve pleaded.

"Garrett, please… not Marco!" Myra sobbed, tears forming as Garrett raised the axe over Marco's head.

The big man let out a wild laugh. "Sorry, what was that? I couldn't quite hear you. Did you say 'not Marco'? Sorry, but I don't take requests." With that, he brought down the axe. Myra shut her eyes and screamed as the men in the camp all shouted in anticipation.

She heard the sound of a blade tearing through flesh, followed by something hitting the ground and the screams of the men around her.

* * *

"I must have died back on that battlefield, because I'm pretty sure this counts as Hell!" I shout, my voice taken from me by the winds of the storm. Freezing cold rain keeps striking me, making me even more tired as the cold and struggle of climbing the mountain take their combined toll on my stamina. _One does not simply climb a stormy mountain… Hey, it actually kinda worked that time! _I smile despite myself, though it quickly fades as I see the end of the stairs just before me. A quick burst of energy propels me up the last few and within seconds I'm on the landing, a decently large chunk of earth carved from the side of the mountain. Standing at the edge is the figure that I saw earlier, his back to me. "Hey, who are you and just what the hell is this place?" I shout over the winds, which have seriously picked up at this point. The figure slowly turns around, and I have to hold in a scream of panic.

It's me. Or, it's a copy of me, done in complete grayscale. His skin's the color of chalk and his hair is pitch black. His eyes are pure white with black irises filled with, if I had to guess, pure hate. I think what surprises me the most, oddly enough, is the fact that he's wielding what looks like a smaller version of Pyramid Head's Great Knife with bandages wrapped around the hilt and his right arm, the longer ones trailing along the ground. I've got no idea where that came from. _Then again, I always did like Pyramid Head as a monster… wouldn't have objected to getting to swing around his Great Knife either_. "Ah, took you long enough to make it here. Didn't think you'd actually have the guts to face me." he says, his voice exactly like mine.

"Tell me who you are!" I demand, though I instantly regret it. This type of scenario instantly becomes familiar to me. _I swear, if he starts going on about he's 'my Shadow' and 'my true self,' I'm throwing myself off of the mountain. I'm already dealing with Fire Emblem; I could really do without Persona right now!_

He laughs and throws his arms out to his sides. "What, not obvious enough for you? I think it's pretty damn clear that I'm you… for the most part." He plants his sword into the ground and leans against the pommel. "You see, I'm both you and I'm not you. Consider me… what you could be: powerful, unstoppable, a true force to be reckoned with."

I shake my head. "Okay, give me one good reason as to just why I'd want to be like you? Besides, you don't look any different from me, aside from needing a good-" I'm cut off as he suddenly rushes forwards, grabs me by the collar of my shirt, and runs with me, slamming my back into the wall of the mountain. Painfully. "-tan…" I croak out, my ribs stinging.

He releases his grip on me and sneers as he walks back towards his own weapon. "What, other than that? Like I said, I'm what you could be. I have power, power beyond your wildest dreams, all given to me by- you know what? Why spoil the surprise?" he says with a chuckle. I just glare at him. "Fine, if that isn't reason enough, how about this: because if you're like me, you won't have to fear anything ever again."

I groan as I stand, my ribs still aching. "What the hell do you mean, I won't have to fear anything?" Sighing, he snaps his fingers and a small rectangle of air shimmers, changing shape and colors until- is that Daven and Albert?! "What the- Who are they fighting and what's with all the other people around them!?" His response is to just point at himself and then to me. I gulp as cold realization hits me. "They're fighting… me?" He nods. "Why?" I ask.

He shrugs. "Oh, I don't know. It could be that you went psychopath on the Plegian army and the monks and now they're being forced to fight you before you slaughter all of them." He throws his hands up into the air as if at a loss. "But hey, that's just my opinion. Even if it is true." What he says makes no sense: why would I go crazy and start attacking everyone? _…That fucking bastard of a sword! If I manage to figure out some way of getting out of here, I'm melting it down into a bedpan! Then, I'm finding the nearest wyvern and having it- _"Oh, stop blaming mystical, magical swords for getting you into this mess." I'm shaken out of my thoughts by what he says. "You have no one else but yourself to blame for what's happening. You chose to take the easiest way out instead of facing your problems. You took that sword of your own free will; the only thing it's guilty of is giving you the option." He picks up his sword from the ground, the earth falling from its blade, and points the tip at me. "You were too much of a coward to actually fight. You ran from danger instead of facing it head on, like a man, like a warrior, would. The moment you drew that sword, I was given control, albeit limited, to fulfill your greatest wish: to live without fear. It's just your fault that you weren't very specific about that wish and now, your friends are going to pay the price."

"Over my dead body!" I scream, gripping the hilt of the sword that I've been carrying this entire time and tugging on it- which soon becomes futile as the damn thing won't come out of its sheath! _Well, if there's a lesson to be learned, it's to never trust talking inanimate objects. …Actually, that's a lesson I should've probably known beforehand._ "Give me back my body and leave them alone!" I cry as a flash of lightning blinds me. It's only for a moment, but as soon as my eyes are able to see again, I'm put on the ground. Looking up, I see my doppelgänger standing over me, his sword pointing at my heart. I start to breathe heavily as I realize that, well, I'm probably about to die. His eyes seem to shine for a moment, like he realizes what I know is about to happen.

"Ah, so you get it." he states, a smirk on his face. "If I were to kill you right now, I'd take full control of your body. I'd be allowed to do whatever I chose to with no real consequences… at least none that I'd suffer. Your friends… now, they'd suffer quite a bit. But, there is another option." His smirk fades from his face as he brings his sword to his side. "Accept the fact that this is your fate, that I am the power that you so desire, and I will spare you. Of course, you'll be forced to do as I command for the rest of eternity, but that's a small price to pay to avoid death, isn't it?"

I have to admit, neither option is very pleasing. If I die, he gets full control over my body. If I live, I'm his slave for an eternity. Either way, I'm likely going to be forced to kill if what's happening with my friends is any indication. The only real question I have to ask myself is this: do I live for an eternity with the guilt of killing innocent people hanging over my head or do I choose to take the easy way out and die, allowing this thing to go crazy?

The best choice doesn't take even a minute to form in my mind.

"My choice… is neither!" I scream, lunging up at my clone. I take him by surprise, knocking him to the ground and as I fall on top of him, I start raining down blow after blow with my fists. "This. Is. MY. BODY!" I scream as I bring both hands together and bring them down onto his face. There's a satisfying crack, though he quickly throws me off. Rolling to my feet, I feel a smirk of my own as I see a trickle of blood running from his nose. _Damn, what is with me and breaking people's noses? First Randell and now this guy…_ "You want me to choose? I choose option three, also known as option 'Go fuck yourself!'" I undo the sword from my belt and hold it in front of me. Even if it's still sheathed, I can fight with it.

My opponent stares me down before laughing. Then, with sudden speed that I forgot he had, he has me by the throat, his knock-off Great Knife pointed at my throat. "So, you think you can fight against me? You think you can defeat the very thing that gives you power? I AM MORE THAN YOU WILL EVER BE AND YOU WOULD FIGHT ME!?"

_Well, this is it: game over. Guess I shouldn't be too surprised. Death comes for everyone in some way, shape, or form. I just didn't quite expect my death to come in my own shape._ I smile as our eyes lock and I say the last sentence I'm sure will ever leave my mouth.

"Like I said, option 'Go fuck yourself.'"

He lets out a growl and brings back the blade, ready to end me.

I just close my eyes and let it come.

* * *

Both Daven and Albert panted heavily as they retreated from Kale's latest assault, both of them bearing fresh wounds that, while not fatal, still drained their stamina. "So… how much more… do you think… he's got in him?" Daven panted, trying to make the most of their situation. "I mean… surely… he's getting tired by now… right?"

"I really… wish I shared… your sense of humor… Daven." Albert replied, planting the butt of his spear onto the ground and resting against it slightly. "Because then… I wouldn't want to… kick your ass so badly…"

Daven let out a light chuckle, even though he knew that Albert was right. They were fighting a losing battle: no matter how hard they pressed the attack, Kale never seemed to tire or lose ground and not once had they been able to inflict an injury to their friend. It wasn't as if they were trying to, but it was still unsettling to see him deflect their attacks so easily.

Seeing how tired they were, Kale let out another cold laugh. "Like I thought, I no longer have anything to fear. The two of you, along with anyone who would harm me, will die- AGH!" He suddenly screamed, grasping at his chest with his left hand as he plunged the blade in his right deeply into the ground. The bandages attaching the sword to his arm seemed to lengthen and tighten around his arm as he screamed in agony, his face slowly turning pale. "How-how can this be?!"

His two opponents shared a glance as another thought ran through their minds simultaneously:

_Now what?_

* * *

Randell covered his ears at the screams that were coming from the middle of the battlefield, though he smirked at who he saw was screaming: the whelp was kneeling on the ground, writhing in pain. Drawing his sword, he prepared to advance and end the boy when a sudden thought struck him. "Where the hell are the reinforcements?" he wondered aloud.

* * *

**_15 minutes earlier_**

All the men howled as Garrett brought the axe down, ready to take off Marco's head, their blood pumping as they prepared to see the man's head rolling at their feet. The screams from the man's younger sister were drowned out by their cries of bloodlust. With a sickeningly wet noise, Garrett's axe passed clean through the meat of the neck and a head fell to the ground.

Only, it was the wrong head.

The men all screamed in anger as their ally's head stared up at them with cold eyes, his mouth still wide from a cry of surprise. Looking up at Garrett, they all saw his frame shaking as a laugh erupted from his mouth. "Ya know, I didn't actually think this would work out so well. It's hard to pull of a successful triple-cross nowadays." With that, he took the smaller throwing axe from his side and hurled it into the skull of the man holding Myra before charging forwards and lopping off the head of the man who was keeping Genevieve. "I've got some explaining to do, to be sure, but I'd appreciate it if you saved all questions for later!" Genevieve merely nodded and grabbed her fallen captor's sword while Myra ran over to her brother and quickly began untying him. Running over to protect the two of them, Garrett and Genevieve both took up defensive stances. "Alright, I promised to show you guys why I'm called 'Savage' and I hate to disappoint. So, who's first?"

One of the men charge forwards, his spear lowered to skewer Garrett, when the head of it suddenly fell off, leaving him clutching a useless stick that he looked at in surprise. "What the- How'd this happen?"

"Oh yeah, I may have taken the liberty of fixing up everyone's weapons while Randy was gone. You're welcome." Garrett smiled as he watched all fifty of the men look at their weapons, finding parts of them broken or their blades dulled. "So, Genny, you want the right half or the left half?" he asked the thief over his shoulder.

"I'll take… right. And stop calling me Genny!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Still smiling, he let out a cry as he and the lady thief charged their enemies. The battle, if it could even be called that, was sort and bloody, especially after Myra managed to untie Marco and the large man had managed to get his hands on a sword that wasn't in terrible condition. When the last man let out his death cry, Garrett was covered from head-to-toe in blood, mostly the Plegians. "Now that… is what I call savagery. Wouldn't you agree, guy- OH GODS!" He fell to the ground as Myra suddenly ran up to him and delivered a swift kick to… his Sacred Stones.

"You rotten bastard!" she swore, looking down on him as he clutched at the area in agony. "If you were going to try something like that, the least that you could have done is told us! What, did you not trust Marco and I just because we're _Plegians_?"

Swallowing the pain and trying to hold back the tears that were forming, he shakily rose to his feet. "Look, if I can have a chance to ex- OH GODS!" He fell again as Genevieve brought up her foot from behind, causing a fresh surge of pain to go through his body. "This is because I called you 'Genny', right?" he asked, his voice an octave lower.

She made a show of adjusting her cloak. "That, and for that horrid title that you called both myself and Myra by." She sniffled slightly. "Though, I am thankful that you decided not to carry out your dreadful intentions regarding Marco and the rest of us."

Not even bothering to rise to his feet, Garrett let out a sigh. "They never _were_ my intentions. I said and did all of those things to play the idiot and his men. I needed you all to be as believing as possible, so I decided not to clue you in. I knew that we wouldn't be getting out of here easily, so I figured, 'Hey, why not try and join them? Win their trust and then get all of us out of here, now there's a plan!' I just wished I'd known it would've cost me any chance of ever having a kid…" He doubled over slightly as a fresh wave of pain went over his body, his eyes watering. "Trust me, while I'm not exactly happy to have never been told that you two were Plegian, it doesn't really bother me all that much. Hell, I'm a bandit; I'm pretty sure that makes me the worse when it comes between you and me. Still, sorry for not clueing you in. Probably would've been a better idea…"

Marco shook his head. "No, I feel like I should be apologizing. Not for the girl's actions, as I'm pretty sure that's justified, but for not trusting you with my- our secret." He looked at the two allies that he'd somehow gathered. "If I'm willing to have the two of you protecting my back in the middle of a fight, then I should also be willing to trust you with all of my secrets, even the place where my sister and I were born and raised." He offered the fallen man a hand. "Now, I think we need to get to this monastery; I think Kale and Albert could use our help." Garrett smiled and nodded, taking the hand and rising to his feet.

**_*BAM*_**

Flexing his fingers, Marco looked down on Garrett, who was clutching at his stomach. When the bandit's eyes met his, he just shrugged. "What? The girls get a bit of payback and I don't? Just be glad I chose your stomach and not somewhere else." With that, he moved past his friend, patting him on the back, and began heading towards the monastery with Myra and Genevieve falling in behind him.

"Fair enough, fair enough…" Garrett muttered as he, slowly, followed them.

* * *

…_Why does death feel like normal?_ _I mean, I would expect a bit of pain or something. I just got stabbed by a sword, so I should at least feel a small portion of agony. Unless… Am I alive?! _Cracking open one of my eyes, I see that the doppelgänger's sword has stopped only inches from my heart. Looking at his face, he's wearing a satisfied smirk. "Um… what?" is all I can manage to ask.

He laughs and lets me go, gently dropping me onto my feet. "Man, never thought you'd actually try and fight against me! Ah, that was absolutely amazing! Look at you, you've finally grown a pair!" He clasps my shoulder and smiles. "Congratulations, Kale, because you've passed the test."

…WHAT?

"Wha-what test!? You just tried to kill me!" I scream. "What kind of sick, psychotic, Jigsaw-type test is that!?" He just shakes his head and lets me go before walking towards the edge of the- wait, when did those stairs appear? _The sign __**did**__ say Mind-Fuck City. Guess this is to be expected._ Slowly, he starts to ascend them, motioning for me to follow after him. I just shake my head and trudge on after him. Surprisingly, it doesn't take me any time to reach the top and when I do, he's standing in the center of the plateau that makes the summit, his sword planted in the ground in front of him. "Okay, I want some answers. What kind of test was that and why were you testing me in the first place?"

He shrugs. "Well, to be fair, I wasn't."

"_**I was."**_ The entire mountain shakes as lightning flashes all around me. My double slowly fades away into mist, leaving his sword behind, as two… really big… scary looking… glowing red eyes appear out of the storm clouds, looking straight at me. _…help me…_ _**"I wished to test your courage and your determination to see if you truly were worthy of my blade." **_the massive figure booms. _**"And I am pleased to acknowledge that you have, without a doubt, passed. I deem you worthy of my blade, Harbinger."**_

_His blade? Then that must mean- _"You're Arashi?" I ask, trying to keep from fainting in terror. Seriously, I dare anyone to try and stand on a mountain that's covered in storm clouds while some giant… thing with glowing red eyes looks down on them and see how long they last. _I'm actually impressed with myself. Under normal circumstances, I would've been fleeing in terror._

The eyes, or the creature that they belong to, laugh. _**"Yes, young warrior, I am Arashi, the Beast of the Heavens. It is a pleasure to finally be able to meet you, though my fang proved a fair enough medium for me to guide you."**_

"Your fang?" I cock an eyebrow. I feel my hand warming up and look down to see the sword, that I've somehow _still_ been carrying, starting to glow a bright gold. I release it from my grip and it floats into the air, coming to rest in front of the pair of eyes. "Wait, that sword is your fang?"

The eyes bob down and up, which I'm assuming means that Arashi just nodded. _**"Yes, it is. This weapon was carved from a tooth that was stolen from my mouth long ago. My essence still flows within it, allowing me to use it as a medium to communicate with those who may be potential Harbingers."**_ The sword falls to the ground, coming to a rest just in front of my double's. _**"Tell me, why do you think I would test my Harbinger?"**_

I shrug. "I don't know. Maybe to weed out someone who would use your blade for evil?"

"_**Yes, there is that, but there is more to it than what meets the eyes. The avatar that I created to contact you on this plane was a manifestation of your fears and desires. It's job was to test and see if you would falter in the face of death and if you would give in to your terror and accept a horrible fate. If you had chosen to live under its possession, I would have destroyed you on the spot."**_ I hear a rumbling, though its not thunder: it's laughter. _**"Though, I never would have expected you to act so defiantly. No, that was truly a surprise."**_

"Wait, so you wanted to make sure that I wouldn't chicken out? Am I getting this right?" The eyes bob again. "Again, what's the point of that? And why would you have destroyed me if I'd chosen to live as a slave?"

"_**Because, one who gives into his fears and chooses to live in subjugation is weak and undeserving of power. As to the point of my test, well, tell me: do you believe someone who knows no fear is powerful? That someone who isn't afraid of anything is the ideal warrior?" **_I start to nod, only to realize something. _If you aren't afraid of anything, then you won't have anything holding you back from doing whatever you want. You wouldn't be an ideal warrior like that, you'd be a maniac!_ _**"Ah, so you do realize the truth. Yes, a warrior who knows no fear is not a warrior but a man with power. A true warrior is the man who faces his fear and, though he may not conquer it, he will fight past it in order to achieve victory. You proved to me today that you have that quality, that you are one that knows fear but will not be ruled by it."**_

My mind flashes back to that day at the mansion. "But I was ruled by fear, wasn't I? I ran for my life and left my friends to die."

"_**But you admit your faults. Kale, no warrior is without fault, and though you may feel guilt for what you did, you should not let the past burden you. Yes, you ran from what you were afraid of, but were you not willing to trust me in order to gain the power to protect all of those around you? Wouldn't you trade your life to protect someone innocent? Someone that you care about? Is this the reason that you have fought so boldly?"**_

My eyes close as I remember how I'd run away. "I ran for my life that day, all because I couldn't control my fear…" I flash forwards to how I chose to reach out to the sword in order to protect the monastery. "And it was only out of fear that I chose to draw your blade…" I look up and open my eyes, feeling the warm tears rolling down my cheeks. "But you're right, I would die if it meant protecting someone!" The image of the woman who died protecting her baby flashes through my mind. "People who hurt other people just for their own selfish gain… I won't allow those people to get away so easily! If it means I can protect someone, then I would gladly lay my life on the line! That's why I first drew a blade, why I first took a life, and…" I close my eyes and sigh before walking over to where the two blades are. "And I'd do it as many times as I needed to in order to protect people. Yes, my reason for fighting is to protect others!" I hear a roar as the two blades in front of me lift into the air, both of them glowing bright gold, as they slowly float into one another, creating a blinding golden light.

"_**Then reach out and take the power to do just that! Fulfill your reason, your goal, with my power!"**_

My hand stretches out towards the golden light as the entire world fades to white.

* * *

Albert and Daven were still fighting against the Plegians, who, after Kale had fallen to the ground, had gotten their courage back and were fighting furiously. Both of them struggled to survive the onslaught of foes, often times barely avoiding a killing blow. As Albert pulled his spear from the stomach of a myrmidon, he whirled around to check on his partner when his eyes widened in shock: another swordsman, the one who had led the Plegian army, was advancing on Kale. "Daven, he's going after Kale!" he shouted.

Cutting down the fighter he'd been struggling with, Daven immediately whirled around and charged the man who was stalking towards his friend. "Get away from him!" he yelled, bringing his sword down. The man spun around and he let out a sudden cry of surprise as a sharp pain pierced his side. Looking down, he saw the blade of the man sticking into his right hip. He fell backwards as the man slid out the weapon. "N-no… this can't… I still have to find him…" he whispered as his blood slowly flowed from his body.

The man let out a laugh. "You're out of your league, boy. You would have done better than to mess with me." He turned towards Kale, a smile on his face. "And now, this bastard will learn the same thing." He raised his blade in the air, ready to bring it down, when a piercing golden light began to shine from Kale's blade. He was forced to shut his eyes as it began to glow brighter than the sun. "What the hell is this?"

* * *

"What the hell is this?" I hear Randell shout. A small smile plays across my lips as I stand up, the bandages that were tightened around my wrist falling to the ground. I'm surrounded by a ball of pure, radiant light and my body feels warm, like I've just gotten out of a hot bath. The light slowly fades away, revealing a stunned Randell and Albert. "What the- What is _this!?_"

I look down and my eyes widen in surprise at my new wardrobe. I have on an emerald green tunic under a golden coat that hangs down to my ankles. A large red sash with gold designs is tied around my waist, over the coat. Loose black pants and brown and black boots finish off my clothing. Raising my hands in front of me, I see that they've been covered in a silver and gold type of armored glove that exposes my fingers. "This," I start, looking up and locking eyes with Randell, "is who I am." My hand flies to my side and wraps around the hilt of the Blade of Arashi. "And I am the one who is ending this!" I draw the sword, which glows brightly for a moment before dimming down.

The sword is nothing like it was. Before, it looked like a normal short sword in its sheathe, but now, it's in a category all of its own. The blade is a bluish silver that extends from the mouth of a golden dragon with red eyes. The dragon itself is curled around the actual hilt of the blade, with the tail forming the pommel with a large green gem on the end. Even though the dragon's body forms a complete circle around where I hold the weapon, it doesn't interfere with how I hold it.

"_**So, this is the form my fang has taken while in your grasp. Quite interesting."**_

"_Arashi? So, I guess you're part of this whole new ensemble, huh?"_

"_**Consider me a guide, if you will. You do not yet know how to control your new powers as my Harbinger, and thus, will need my guidance. I might suggest that you help your friend before you engage your foe; it appears he is gravely wounded."**_ I look down to see Daven staring up at me, his eyes wide and his face pale. There's a large gash in his side, courtesy of Randell if I had to guess. _**"Flip around your weapon and hold the gem aloft."**_ Nodding, I do just that, turning over the sword so that I'm holding it in an underhanded fashion. Raising it into the air, the jewel begins to glow as a green and gold aura washes over Daven. He grits his teeth in pain but the wound quickly closes and soon, it's gone completely. _**"Healing, one of the many interesting abilities this blade seems to possess. However, before you begin to ponder its many mysteries, I suggest you ready yourself for battle."**_

I nod and turn to face Randell, my face hard. "Randell of the Dunes, I hereby accuse you of preparing to commit genocide against an entire country as well as attempting to harm my friends. What do you have to say?"

He laughs bitterly. "Boy, I don't know what you're on about. But yeah, that's my plan: to wipe Ylisse off of the maps. You want to know why? Vengeance!" he screams, clenching his fist. "The Ylisseans tore across Plegia, burning homes and killing innocent men and women. My own mother… I lost her at the same time that Gilroy lost both of his parents. On that day, we swore a blood-oath, an oath to destroy Ylisse, no matter what it may cost us." He looks at me, his eyes boring into me. "We were more than ready to die for this cause, but for him to die to you, a mere child who got a lucky shot? I will _never_ allow that to go unpunished." He lifts his blade and settles into a fighting stance. "Now, prepare for your demise!"

I flip around the Blade of Arashi and settle into my own stance. The fighting around us seemingly stops as both sides realize that the enemy commanders are preparing to fight each other. He makes the first move, cutting overhead. I block and duck under his arm, spinning as I do so in order to position myself for an attack. Just as my blade is about to meet his exposed back, he spins around to block it, though just barely. I push forward, knocking him off balance, before spinning around and swinging my sword at his neck. He manages to guard, though the blow knocks away his guard. He realizes this as his eyes widen. I take a step backwards before dashing forwards, going past his broken guard and cutting across his exposed midsection. "That's the end of your story!" I shout, a small smile playing on my face as I realize that I just hit my first critical. _Odd to be thinking of that at a time like this, but okay._

"D-damn you…" I hear him mutter. Turning around, I see him kneeling down, clutching his wound. "I-I suppose that it may not have been such a lucky strike after all… F-forgive me, my brother…" he mutters, falling backwards. I slide to catch him. "W-what are you doi-"

"Did you believe in your cause? Did you believe in why you chose to fight?" I ask. He nods weakly. "Would you change any of the things that you've done if it meant never reaching this point?" He shakes his head slowly. I offer a kind smile. "Then rest well. You've got nothing to ask forgiveness for. You fought for your reason and you fought well, as I'm sure your brother would have wished."

He chuckles weakly and tries to smile. "I-I was w-wrong about you… Y-you're n-not a b-boy… You've got t-the makings of a tr-true warrior…" He shudders once and then, he's still. I run my hand over his eyes, shutting them like I've seen done in countless movies and TV shows, and gently place his head onto the ground before standing.

"_**Most impressive, Kale. Not many people would give such kind words to the man who had tried so desperately to kill them."**_

"_Even if I didn't agree with what he wanted to do, he fought because he believed in his cause, in his reason for fighting. Just as I do now. He deserved a bit of relief for his soul before he died."_ Looking around, I realize that I'm still in the center of a Plegian army, all of them shocked and angered that their commander is dead. "Well… we go from a touching moment to my death… figures."

A few men rush towards me, only to be stopped by a hoarse voice. "Cease your attack at once." A dark pillar shoots up from the ground, and as it disappears, the grip on my blade tightens as I recognize the mage from the mansion. "I have direct orders from King Gangrel himself, stating that in the event Randell should fall, I am to take direct command of this force and order it home. Will there be any arguments?" he asks. It's still surprising to hear him speak, though its clear that he has the entire group's attention. "Very good. Now, this will only hurt for a moment…" He holds up his hand and gathers black and purple energy into it before throwing the sphere that's formed their to the ground. All of the remaining Plegian soldiers are immediately swallowed by darkness, leaving only the monk defenders, Albert, Daven, and myself with the mage. "Now that that's been taken care of…" he says quietly, holding up his hand again.

"Wait!" Daven cries out, lunging at him. The mage snaps his fingers and disappears into a column of darkness, leaving Daven to grasp at the air. "Damn…" I hear him whisper. Before I have the chance to ask him what's wrong, he turns around and passes straight by me, a dark look plastered on his face. I start to go after him, only to hear the best sounds I think I've ever heard in my life.

"Kale!"

"I can't believe it! It's really him!"

"It is a truly divine miracle that we should be reunited."

"So, this is where you went, eh kid? Didn't think you were one for slacking off."

I turn around to see Marco, Myra, Genevieve, and Garrett all running down a hill towards me. A smile as wide as the Grand Canyon goes over my face as I rush to meet them, a single thought in my mind.

_These are the people who I will protect. Them, and everyone else that I can._

* * *

**_Obviously, this is the longest Chapter I've written so far, and I apologize if there was too much to it, but hey, when big things happen, you get longer Chapters._**

**_And HOT DAMN, if I didn't have fun writing this Chapter! God...This is one of the moments of my story that I've been waiting the most to write, simply because it was one of the ideas that stuck in my head for so long. I really hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it._**

**_Now, before anyone decides to try and call me out for making Kale 'overpowered', let me say this: Yes, Kale does have a bit of a power boost, but trust me, it comes at a price. You'll all see what it is shortly, so leave the idea that I'm turning on 'God-Mode' for him at the door. ...erm, link to this story, I suppose..._**

**_One last thing before I end this little note, and I really need you people to talk to me about this: what should I do with Kale and the group? SHOULD they become Shepherds or SHOULDN'T they? Your input on this decision is seriously appreciated, as it's something I've been debating over a lot lately._**

**_Alright, that's all I've got to say, so let's wrap this up. The Chapter's long enough without this little note here at the end. I'd like to thank each and every one of you who have come to read this story. I would like to ask if you'd kindly leave a review, as every bit of support or criticism helps big time. Anyways, I hope you all have an awesome day._**


End file.
